Circa

For other uses, see Circa (disambiguation).

"Ca." and "Cca." redirect here. For other uses of "Ca", see CA. For other uses of "Cca", see CCA.

Circa (from Latin, meaning "around, about"), usually abbreviated c., ca or ca. (also circ. or cca.), means "approximately" in several European languages including English, usually in reference to a date. Circa is widely used in genealogy and historical writing when the dates of events are not accurately known. When used in date ranges, "circa" is applied before each approximate date, while dates without "circa" immediately preceding them are generally assumed to be known with certainty. For example,

• 1732–1799: both years are known precisely.
• c. 1732 – 1799: only the end year is known accurately; the start year is approximate.
• 1732 – c. 1799: only the start year is known accurately; the end year is approximate.
• c. 1732 – c. 1799: both years are approximate.

See also

• Floruit

External links

• The dictionary definition of circa at Wiktionary
• Media related to Circa at Wikimedia Commons