Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Circumvent \Cir`cum*vent"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Circumvented};
   p. pr. vb. n. {Circumventing}.] [L. circumventis, p. p. of
   circumvenire, to come around, encompass, deceive; circum +
   venire to come, akin to E. come.]
   To gain advantage over by arts, stratagem, or deception; to
   decieve; to delude; to get around.

         I circumvented whom I could not gain.    --Dryden.

Source : WordNet®

circumvent
     v 1: surround so as to force to give up; "The Turks besieged
          Vienna" [syn: {besiege}, {beleaguer}, {surround}, {hem
          in}]
     2: beat through cleverness and wit; "I beat the traffic"; "She
        outfoxed her competitors" [syn: {outwit}, {overreach}, {outsmart},
         {outfox}, {beat}]
     3: avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
        (duties, questions, or issues); "He dodged the issue";
        "she skirted the problem"; "They tend to evade their
        responsibilities"; "he evaded the questions skillfully"
        [syn: {hedge}, {fudge}, {evade}, {put off}, {parry}, {elude},
         {skirt}, {dodge}, {duck}, {sidestep}]