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:
Home Depot’s example is of course a different circumstance, but it serves as a reminder for other companies, underscoring the importance of having solid succession plans in place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Exceptions would be years massively skewed by circumstance.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
In that circumstance, whether she makes her husband’s children whole — if you agree that his children should have a slice of the pie — would depend on her largesse.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Zambada’s attorney has sought to paint a more complex portrait of his client, describing him in a sentencing memo as a product of circumstance from a difficult upbringing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Hugh has been advised to try again: scores can fluctuate according to stress and circumstance, and he's right on the cusp of Mensa qualification.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
"You realise that advice they're giving you was probably right for another business but not for your specific set of circumstances."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The spokesperson said the incident remained under investigation but provided no further details on the circumstances surrounding the crash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
They added that as "two French representatives directly witnessed part of these events" Paris should "fully establish the circumstances of these arrests" and "take every necessary step to guarantee their rights, safety and release".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Some boards are willing to tolerate prior indiscretions, depending on the industry and specific circumstances, executive recruiters and corporate governance experts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
My mom always says when things are really bad, stop and think your hardest, because most people don’t think at all under those circumstances and then they make things worse.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
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.
