English Dictionary

Definition of “circumstance”

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circumstance (ˈsɜːkəmstənsPronunciation for circumstance) 

Definitions

noun

  1. (usually plural) a condition of time, place, etc, that accompanies or influences an event or condition
  2. an incident or occurrence, esp a chance one
  3. accessory information or detail
  4. formal display or ceremony (archaic except in the phrase pomp and circumstance)
  5. See under no circumstances
  6. See under the circumstances
  7. See in bad circumstances
  8. See in good circumstances

verb (tr)

  1. to place in a particular condition or situation
  2. obsolete to give in detail

Word Origin

C13: from Old French circonstance,  from Latin circumstantia,  from circumstāre  to stand around, from circum- + stāre to stand

Usage examples

  • Both dead, he thought bitterly, both victims of circumstance.
    Harcourt, Palma, A Matter of Conscience (1989)
  • Defining it as a disease at the beginning of the 20th century reduced the condition to ``a plain horror, an utterly inhuman circumstance.
    British Medical Journal (2002)
  • And just as he was to put a decisive stamp on foreign affairs, Martin finds his wings clipped by circumstance.
    canada.com (2004)
  • Ultimately, Shooting the Past is an exploration of character and circumstance in a medium poised between film and theatre.
    Independent (1999)
  • Sometimes they stick mainly to one; sometimes they change according to taste or circumstance.
    Evans, Andrew, The Secrets of Musical Confidence (1994)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'C'

Related Terms

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