circumscription

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Latin circum Latin circum- Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-? Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti Proto-Italic *skreiβō Latin scrībō Latin circumscribō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin circumscrīptiōbor. English circumscription Borrowed from Latin circumscrīptiō.

1. The act of circumscribing or the quality of being circumscribed.
2. Anything that circumscribes or a circumscribed area.
3. The definition of what does and does not belong to a given taxon, from a particular taxonomic viewpoint or taxonomic system.

   “The circumscription in the APG system of the family Malvaceae includes the former families Bombacaceae, Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae.”

4. An electoral district; used often in texts treating electoral systems in Romance countries.