Circumstance Definition
sûrkəm-stăns
circumstanced, circumstances, circumstancing
noun
circumstances
A fact or event accompanying another, either incidentally or as an essential condition or determining factor.
Circumstances alter cases.
Webster's New World
Any happening or fact; event.
Webster's New World
The sum of determining factors beyond willful control.
A victim of circumstance.
American Heritage
Conditions surrounding and affecting a person, esp. financial conditions.
In comfortable circumstances.
Webster's New World
Financial status or means.
American Heritage
verb
To place in certain circumstances.
Webster's New World
idiom
under no circumstances
- In no case; never.
American Heritage
under
- Given these conditions; such being the case.
American Heritage
under no circumstances
- under no conditions; never
Webster's New World
under the circumstances
- conditions being what they are or were
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Circumstance
Noun
Singular:
circumstancePlural:
circumstancesIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Circumstance
- under no circumstances
- under
- under no circumstances
- under the circumstances
Origin of Circumstance
-
Middle English from Old French circonstance from Latin circumstantia from circumstāns circumstant- present participle of circumstāre to stand around circum- circum- stāre to stand stā- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
From Old French circonstance, from Latin circumstantia
From Wiktionary
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