full circle
/ˌfʊl ˈsɜː.kəl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.51 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see full, circle.
noun
A full turn back to the original direction or orientation. a point arrived at which is the same point at which it began;
noun
A full turn back to the original direction or orientation. a point arrived at which is the same point at which it began;
adv
Through a rotation or revolution that ends at the starting point.
adv
Through a cycle of transition, returning to where one started after gaining experience or exploring other things.
Example Sentences
- "Arcs are measured in degrees, with 360° in the full circle."
- "He cackled confidentially, like he knew more than he was telling, then threw his head back and crowed once and strutted in a full circle like a rumpled old rooster."
- "Thus, patterns whose parts move about a point axis are called finite, because eventually the parts will move full circle to superimpose upon the original starting point […]"
- "Little has been heard lately of Gwynedd Council's campaign for the line to be upgraded for freight use, enabling it to haul slate waste from Blaenau Ffestiniog for export to Europe. [...] It would mean things have gone full circle, for the line's original purpose was transporting slate from Ffestiniog quarries to a quay at Deganwy for shipping abroad."
- "Now the wheel is turning back full circle."
- "He'd begin with a premise and wrap it up at the end, full circle, the moral of the story hanging on the last word of the last line."
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˌfʊl ˈsɜː.kəl/