Circa (often abbreviated
c.,
ca.,
ca or
cca. and sometimes
italicized to show it is
Latin) means "in approximately" (it literally means "around"), referring to a date. It is widely used in
genealogy and historical writing, when the dates of events are approximately known.
When used in date ranges, a circa is applied before each approximate date, while dates without a circa immediately preceding them are generally assumed to be known with certainty.
For example, an encyclopedia entry for
Genghis Khan may begin with "Genghis Khan (c. 1162 – August 18, 1227)", suggesting that he was born in or around the year 1162. The year of his death appears as a precise value, suggesting that there is definite evidence that this is when he died.
See also
