circumstance

circumstance
[[t]sɜ͟ː(r)kəmstæns[/t]]
♦♦♦
circumstances
1) N-COUNT: usu pl, with supp The circumstances of a particular situation are the conditions which affect what happens.

Recent opinion polls show that 60 percent favor abortion under certain circumstances...

The strategy was too dangerous in the explosive circumstances of the times...

I wish we could have met under happier circumstances.

2) N-PLURAL: with supp, oft the N of n The circumstances of an event are the way it happened or the causes of it.

I'm making inquiries about the circumstances of Mary Dean's murder...

Hundreds of people had died there in terrible circumstances during and after the revolution.

3) N-PLURAL: usu with poss Your circumstances are the conditions of your life, especially the amount of money that you have.

...help and support for the single mother, whatever her circumstances...

I wouldn't have expected to find you in such comfortable circumstances.

Syn:
4) N-UNCOUNT Events and situations which cannot be controlled are sometimes referred to as circumstance.

There are those, you know, who, by circumstance, end up homeless...

You might say that we've been victims of circumstance.

5) PHRASE: PHR with cl (emphasis) You can emphasize that something must not or will not happen by saying that it must not or will not happen under any circumstances.

Racism is wholly unacceptable under any circumstances...

She made it clear that under no circumstances would she cancel the trip.

6) PHRASE: PHR with cl You can use in the circumstances or under the circumstances before or after a statement to indicate that you have considered the conditions affecting the situation before making the statement.

Under the circumstances, a crash was unavoidable...

In the circumstances, Paisley's plans looked highly appropriate.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • circumstance — cir·cum·stance n 1 a: a condition, fact, or event accompanying, conditioning, or determining another the circumstance s constituting fraud or mistake shall be stated Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 9(b) b: a piece of evidence that indicates …   Law dictionary

  • Circumstance — or circumstances can refer to: Rhetoric Circumstances (rhetoric) Legal terms Aggravating circumstance Attendant circumstance Exigent circumstance Extenuating circumstances Literature Circumstance (short story) Films Circumstance (film) Others… …   Wikipedia

  • circumstance — cir cum*stance (s[ e]r k[u^]m*st[a^]ns), n. [L. circumstantia, fr. circumstans, antis, p. pr. of circumstare to stand around; circum + stare to stand. See {Stand}.] 1. That which attends, or relates to, or in some way affects, a fact or event; an …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • circumstance — (n.) early 13c., conditions surrounding and accompanying an event, from O.Fr. circonstance circumstance, situation, also literally, outskirts (Mod.Fr. circonstance), from L. circumstantia surrounding condition, neut. pl. of circumstans (gen.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • circumstance — [sʉr′kəm stans΄, sʉr′kəmstəns] n. [OFr < L circumstantia, a standing around, condition < circumstare < circum, around + stare,STAND] 1. a fact or event accompanying another, either incidentally or as an essential condition or determining …   English World dictionary

  • circumstance — ► NOUN 1) a fact or condition connected with an event or action. 2) unforeseen events outside one s control: a victim of circumstance. 3) (circumstances) one s state of financial or material welfare. ● under (or in) the circumstances Cf. ↑under… …   English terms dictionary

  • Circumstance — Cir cum*stance, v. t. To place in a particular situation; to supply relative incidents. [1913 Webster] The poet took the matters of fact as they came down to him and circumstanced them, after his own manner. Addison. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • circumstance — *occurrence, event, incident, episode Analogous words: *item, detail, particular: factor, constituent, component, *element …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • circumstance — The debate about the merits of in the circumstances and under the circumstances continued for most of the 20c. The pedantic view is that since circumstances are, etymologically speaking, around (circum) us, we must be in them and not under them;… …   Modern English usage

  • circumstance — [n] situation, condition accident, action, adjunct, affair, article, case, cause, coincidence, concern, contingency, crisis, destiny, detail, doom, element, episode, event, exigency, fact, factor, fate, feature, fortuity, go, happening,… …   New thesaurus

  • circumstance — noun 1 (usually circumstances) facts/events that affect sth ADJECTIVE ▪ favourable/favorable ▪ The plan might work better with more favourable/favorable circumstances. ▪ adverse, difficult, dire, tra …   Collocations dictionary

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