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:
circumstance
Plural:
circumstances

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Circumstance

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

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to circumstance using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

circumstance