recirculate

verb

re·​cir·​cu·​late (ˌ)rē-ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt 

recirculated; recirculating; recirculates

transitive + intransitive

1

: to circulate or cause to circulate again

According to the organization, between two and four times more money recirculates in the local community when people shop at small businesses.

—Christina Hepner

The system will recirculate 99 percent of the water that enters the tanks …

—Nick McCrea

2

: to circulate continuously

Along a slope, a peaceful water feature surrounded by rocks offers the tranquil sounds of water recirculating between two ponds.

—Kelli Adanick

He uses an American Hydroponics system that recirculates water and nutrients through the plants' root systems, allowing them to grow without soil.

—Alana Melanson

Examples of recirculate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To that end, the wort is recirculated to improve purity, thanks to the ability of the husks in the liquid to act as a sort of filtration system. —Brian Freedman, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Andrew Stengel, a civil attorney and former ADA in Manhattan said the people recirculating the video could be charged and/or sued. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025

Its molecular-level recycling solution can recirculate polyester indefinitely, allowing textiles to have multiple lives instead of becoming waste. —Fairchild Studio, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025

Avoid using air conditioners that only bring in outside air and don’t recirculate. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for recirculate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate