circumstance
Americannoun
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circumstances
plural
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a condition, detail, part, or attribute, with respect to time, place, manner, agent, etc., that accompanies, determines, or modifies a fact or event; a modifying or influencing factor.
Do not judge his behavior without considering every circumstance.
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Usually circumstances the existing conditions or state of affairs surrounding and affecting an agent.
Circumstances permitting, we sail on Monday.
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an unessential or secondary accompaniment of any fact or event; minor detail.
The author dwells on circumstances rather than essentials.
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circumstances, the condition or state of a person with respect to income and material welfare.
a family in reduced circumstances.
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an incident or occurrence.
His arrival was a fortunate circumstance.
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detailed or circuitous narration; specification of particulars.
The speaker expatiated with great circumstance upon his theme.
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Archaic. ceremonious accompaniment or display.
pomp and circumstance.
- Synonyms:
- things, situation, conditions
verb (used with object)
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to place in particular circumstances or relations.
The company was favorably circumstanced by the rise in tariffs.
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Obsolete.
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to furnish with details.
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to control or guide by circumstances.
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idioms
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under the circumstances, because of the conditions; as the case stands: Also in the circumstances.
Under the circumstances, there is little hope for an early settlement.
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under no circumstances, regardless of events or conditions; never.
Under no circumstances should you see them again.
noun
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(usually plural) a condition of time, place, etc, that accompanies or influences an event or condition
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an incident or occurrence, esp a chance one
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accessory information or detail
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formal display or ceremony (archaic except in the phrase pomp and circumstance )
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in no case; never
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because of conditions; this being the case
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(of a person) in a bad financial situation
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(of a person) in a good financial situation
verb
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to place in a particular condition or situation
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obsolete to give in detail
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of circumstance
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin circumstantia ( circumstant-, stem of circumstāns, present participle of circumstāre “to stand round”), equivalent to circum- circum- + stā- stand + -nt present participle suffix + -ia noun suffix; see -ance
Explanation
A circumstance is the condition in which something happens. Say you were at a business luncheon and you had to suddenly leave because you started feeling sick, your boss might excuse your sudden departure, given the circumstance. Circumstance comes from the Latin meaning the conditions around something. If you are born in a war zone, you're born into a difficult circumstance. If you're making decisions about awarding a scholarship to the most needy person, you'll need information about each candidate's circumstances. If you didn't do your homework because the power was out all night, tell your teacher that under the circumstance, you couldn't see well enough to read.
Vocabulary lists containing circumstance
List 8
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Around and Around: Circum
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Excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Much of Mr. Belichick’s success may derive from the fortuitous circumstance of having coached the game’s best quarterback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The project itself grew out of an unusual circumstance.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Another circumstance was an injury to Surrey's regular keeper Ben Foakes, one of the best glovemen in the world.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
“He wants to be the hero of any circumstance, but unfortunately he has these frailties that I know too well.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“If you don’t have a certificate of important information, you’ll need to fill out an appeal for special circumstance form.”
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
This allowed them to look at whether a person's circumstances changed after starting treatment.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
PhD students would also be able to bring their families as they were in different life circumstances to undergraduates, Burke said.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The circumstances around her license suspension were not immediately available.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
While leaders with unique strengths sometimes make a difference no one else could have, Mr. Diamond says that many others often would have had similar achievements under the same circumstances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I do not recall discussing my personal circumstances with you, sir,” she said coldly.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Asian Americans and Latinos overstaying a visa are similarly circumstanced; however, a blind driver or a ten-year-old driver is differently circumstanced than a sighted, adult driver.
From Textbooks ● Jul. 28, 2021
According to the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause, “all persons similarly circumstanced shall be treated alike.”
From Textbooks ● Jul. 28, 2021
While waiting for them to speak, the picturesque career of handsome, well-groomed Mr. Cortelyou was envisioned by many of his intimates to those not so circumstanced.
From Time Magazine Archive
Doubtless most other foreign Powers are similarly circumstanced, and possibly even the U. S. Congress would refuse to bind the U. S. by the Kellogg formula.
From Time Magazine Archive
The plunder had been startlingly circumstanced, but its issue had been all I could have hoped.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
