circumstance

circumstance
cir|cum|stance
W1S1 [ˈsə:kəmstæns, -stəns US ˈsə:r-] n
[Date: 1100-1200; : Old French; Origin: Latin circumstantia, from circumstare 'to stand around', from circum- ( CIRCUM-) + stare 'to stand']
1.) [C usually plural]
the conditions that affect a situation, action, event etc
▪ The Soviet Union had been forced by circumstances to sign a pact with Nazi Germany.
▪ I can't imagine a circumstance in which I would be willing to steal.
in ... circumstances
▪ The rules can only be waived in exceptional circumstances.
under ... circumstances
▪ Prisoners can only leave their cells under certain circumstances (=if particular conditions exist) .
▪ He was found dead in suspicious circumstances (=in a way that makes you think something illegal or dishonest has happened) .
▪ Unless there are extenuating circumstances , all students must be present on the day of the exam (=reasons which make you feel that it was reasonable for someone to break the usual rules) .
2.) under no circumstances also in no circumstances BrE
used to emphasize that something must definitely not happen
▪ Under no circumstances are you to leave the house.
3.) under/given the circumstances also in the circumstances BrE
used to say that a particular situation makes an action, decision etc necessary, acceptable, or true when it would not normally be
▪ It's the best result that could be expected under the circumstances.
4.) [U] formal
the combination of facts, events etc that influence your life, and that you cannot control
▪ He was a victim of circumstance .
5.) circumstances [plural] formal
the conditions in which you live, especially how much money you have
economic/financial/personal etc circumstances
▪ Whether or not you qualify for a loan will depend on your financial circumstances.
▪ people living in difficult social circumstances
in reduced circumstances
old-fashioned (=with much less money than you used to have)
→pomp and circumstance at ↑pomp

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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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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