circulate vs spread

circulate is not a noun while spread is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
circulate	No	No	Yes	No
spread	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

As verbs, circulate and spread are synonyms defined as:

As verbs, circulate and spread are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of circulate include go around.

As verbs, spread is a hyponym of circulate; that is, spread is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than circulate:

Other hyponyms of circulate include send around, utter, scatter, spread out.

circulate (noun)	spread (noun)
	act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time
	decorative cover for a bed
	farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
	a haphazard distribution in all directions
	the expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age)
	a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures
	two facing pages of a book or other publication
	process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
	a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in preparing other dishes
	a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed

circulate (adjective)	spread (adjective)
	distributed or spread over a considerable extent
	fully extended in width
	prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set out

circulate (verb)	spread (verb)
cause to become widely known	cause to become widely known
become widely known and passed on	become widely known and passed on
move around freely from person to person or from place to place	distribute or disperse widely
move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point	spread out or open from a closed or folded state
cause to be distributed	become distributed or widespread
cause to move in a circuit or system	cover by spreading something over
	distribute over a surface in a layer
	strew or distribute over an area
	move outward
	spread across or over