circa

American  

[sur-kuh] / ˈsɜr kə /

preposition

1. about: used especially in approximate dates: ca, ca., c., c, cir., circ.

   The Venerable Bede was born circa 673.

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circa British  

/ ˈsɜːkə /

preposition

1. Abbreviation: c..   ca..  (used with a date) at the approximate time of

   circa 1182 bc.

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Etymology

Origin of circa

First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin: “around, about,” akin to circus circus

Example Sentences

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is still the most sizable disruption, “effectively sidelining circa 20% of LNG trade,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Looming over the colorless town is its hulking circa-1385 monastery, extended in convent courtyards and stately chapels with lofty naves, offering dazzling displays of stained glass.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ariel Yagen, who plays the adult Jesus, is a thickly bearded Israeli who looks like he’d fit right into an Aramaic-speaking village like Nazareth, circa A.D.

From The Wall Street Journal

Aiken rose to fame as the earnest, vocally gifted runner-up on “American Idol” circa 2003.

From Los Angeles Times

There is little doubt that a crumbling Egyptian economy circa 1,100 B.C. prompted the country’s early leadership to loot the tombs.

From The Wall Street Journal