circunferir

A rare, formal verb meaning to limit or circumscribe something (an idea, a topic, a right) to a defined scope — closely related to circunscribir and largely overlapping with it, but far less used.

• El informe circunfiere el problema a un solo aspecto. — The report limits the problem to a single aspect.
• La ley circunfiere esos derechos a los residentes legales. — The law limits those rights to legal residents.
• El estudio circunfiere su alcance a tres países. — The study limits its scope to three countries.

This word is rare enough that circunscribir is what a learner should actually use — circunferir will strike most native speakers as unusual.

Often confused with circunscribir.