Circulative

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the process of moving or flowing continuously through a system or area
2. Connected with the movement or distribution within a closed circuit or network
3. Describing something associated with the transfer or flow around an organized structure

Etymology: "Circulative" is a plain formation: the adjective "circulate" with the suffix "-ive," which turns a verb stem into an adjective meaning "tending to" or "relating to" the action. "Circulate" itself comes from Latin "circulari," to move in a circle, from "circulus," a small circle, the diminutive of "circus." So the word's core idea is literally a little ring, and this adjective describes whatever has the quality of going around in such a loop. The suffix does most of the work here. Adding "-ive" to a verb produces a description of its tendency or character, so "circulative" describes something that circulates by nature, not one particular act of circulating. The word is therefore a tidy example of how English builds adjectives on verbs already in use, with the meaning following directly from its parts.

Synonyms: circular, rotational

Antonyms: linear, straight