often attributive
1
a
: a large arena enclosed by tiers of seats on three or all four sides and used especially for sports or spectacles (such as athletic contests, exhibitions of horsemanship, or in ancient times chariot racing)
b
: a public spectacle
2
a
: an arena often covered by a tent and used for variety shows usually including feats of physical skill, wild animal acts, and performances by clowns
b
: a circus performance
c
: the physical plant, livestock, and personnel of such a circus
d
: something suggestive of a circus (as in frenzied activity, sensationalism, theatricality, or razzle-dazzle)
a media circus
Examples of circus in a Sentence
He worked for a small circus.
We're going to the circus.
Recent Examples on the Web
If Peacock’s premature attempt to document the Diddy debacle is any indication of the criminal trial to come, then Sean Combs is in for a hell of a media circus.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
Trump’s all-caps reaction to Biden’s action shows why capital punishment is as inappropriate to a modern civilization as the Roman circuses that spilled blood for sport.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Based on the true story of a man trapped in a network of Kentucky caves in the 1920s, as a media circus raged overhead, Adam Guettel and Tina Landau’s Obie-winning 1996 musical is finally getting its Broadway debut.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Lon Chaney plays a huckster circus performer who pretends to have no arms.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for circus 
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Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
Trump’s all-caps reaction to Biden’s action shows why capital punishment is as inappropriate to a modern civilization as the Roman circuses that spilled blood for sport.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Based on the true story of a man trapped in a network of Kentucky caves in the 1920s, as a media circus raged overhead, Adam Guettel and Tina Landau’s Obie-winning 1996 musical is finally getting its Broadway debut.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Lon Chaney plays a huckster circus performer who pretends to have no arms.
—Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for circus
Dictionary Entries Near circus
Cite this Entry
“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circus. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
circus
noun
cir·cus
ˈsər-kəs 
1
: a large arena enclosed by rows of seats (as in ancient Rome)
2
a
: a show that usually travels from place to place and that has a variety of exhibitions including acrobatic feats, wild animal displays, and performances by clowns
b
: a circus performance
c
: the performers and equipment of such a circus
d
: something that suggests a circus
Etymology
from Latin circus "circle, arena"
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