# circumvent

/ˌsɝkəmˈvɛnt/ (US) · /sˈɜːkəmvˌɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/circumvent
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to avoid a rule or restriction

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to find a way to avoid following a rule or law without actually breaking it.

For teachers: to evade a rule, law, or restriction by finding a loophole or using strategic ingenuity. Transitive — requires a direct object.

- Some companies try to circumvent tax laws by keeping their money in other countries.
- The corporation attempted to circumvent the new environmental regulations by reclassifying their waste products as recyclable materials.

Usage: Commonly used with abstract objects like 'rules', 'regulations', 'laws', or 'security'.

### 2. to go around physically

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to travel around something instead of going through it.

For teachers: to bypass a physical obstacle or geographic feature by moving around its perimeter.

- We had to circumvent the flooded area to reach the village.
- The expedition was forced to circumvent the mountain range to the north, as the primary pass remained blocked by heavy snowfall.

Usage: Often used in technical or formal descriptions of navigation and movement.

### 3. to outwit

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

to get the better of someone by being clever or tricky.

For teachers: to outwit or outmanoeuvre an opponent through superior strategy or deception.

- The clever spy managed to circumvent the guards and enter the building.
- The diplomat's primary goal was to circumvent his rivals' influence at the conference through a series of private negotiations.

## Examples

- They found a way to circumvent the new security rules.
- The company moved its headquarters to another country to circumvent the high tax rates in its home nation.
- Skilled hackers often look for social engineering vulnerabilities to circumvent sophisticated digital firewalls that are otherwise impenetrable to direct brute-force attacks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.