circumstance

cir‧cum‧stance S2 W1 AC /ˈsɜːkəmstæns, -stəns $ ˈsɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin circumstantia, from circumstare 'to stand around', from circum- (CIRCUM-) + stare 'to stand']
1. [countable 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.
2. under no circumstances (also in no circumstances British English) used to emphasize that something must definitely not happen:
Under no circumstances are you to go out.
3. under/given the circumstances (also in the circumstances British English) 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. [uncountable] 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
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ in/under certain circumstances (=if particular conditions exist) In certain circumstances you may be refused a visa.
▪ exceptional/special circumstances The court may allow this evidence in exceptional circumstances.
▪ normal circumstances In normal circumstances, a child’s language will develop naturally.
▪ particular circumstances (=special or specific) There may be particular circumstances in which this rule will not apply.
▪ difficult circumstances Many teachers are doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.
▪ suspicious circumstances (=making you think something illegal has happened) Officers said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
▪ mysterious circumstances (=strange or suspicious) One of their colleagues had vanished in mysterious circumstances.
▪ unusual circumstances There were several unusual circumstances that night.
▪ unforeseen circumstances (=that you did not realize would happen) The tragedy was the result of a series of unforeseen circumstances.
▪ tragic circumstances (=extremely sad and unfortunate) Both parents had died in tragic circumstances.
▪ extenuating/mitigating circumstances (=conditions that make it reasonable for someone to break the rules or law) Hunger and poverty are not treated by the courts as extenuating circumstances.
■ phrases
▪ a set/combination of circumstances This was a very unusual set of circumstances.
▪ the circumstances surrounding something Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.
▪ due to circumstances beyond sb’s control Occasionally flights are cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

circumstance

cir·cum·stance AW [circumstance circumstances] [ˈsɜːkəmstəns] [ˈsɜːkəmstɑːns] [ˈsɜːkəmstæns] [ˈsɜːrkəmstæns] noun
1. countable, usually plural the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action
• The company reserves the right to cancel this agreement in certain circumstances.
• changing social and political circumstances
• I know I can trust her in any circumstance.
• Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the boy's death.
• The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.

• She never discovered the true circumstances of her birth.

2. circumstances plural the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have
• Grants are awarded according to your financial circumstances.

• family/domestic/personal circumstances

3. uncountable (formal) situations and events that affect and influence your life and that are not in your control
• a victim of circumstance (= a person who has suffered because of a situation that they cannot control)
• He had to leave the country through force of circumstance (= events made it necessary).
• We were simply thrown together by circumstance on the long journey.
more at pomp and circumstance at pomp, reduced circumstances at reduce
Idioms: in no circumstances ▪ in the circumstances
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French circonstance or Latin circumstantia, from circumstare ‘encircle, encompass’, from circum ‘around’ + stare ‘stand’.
Thesaurus:
circumstance noun C, usually pl.
• She did the job very well in the circumstances.
conditions • • situation • • position • • the case • • state of affairs • |informal, especially spoken things •
in the/a circumstances/particular situation/position/state of affairs
the general/current/present/real circumstances/conditions/situation/position/state of affairs
sb's economic/financial/social circumstances/conditions/situation/position
describe/explain the circumstances/situation/position/state of affairs/things
Circumstances or conditions? Circumstances refers to sb's financial situation; conditions refers to things such as food, shelter, or the working environment. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions are usually physical things, such as the weather.
Synonyms:
situation
circumstances • position • conditions • things • the case • state of affairs
These are all words for the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect the way things are.
situation • all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place: ▪ the present economic situation
circumstances • the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action; the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have: ▪ The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.
position • the situation that sb is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do: ▪ She felt she was in a position of power.
conditions • the circumstances in which people live, work or do things; the physical situation that affects how sth happens: ▪ We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions.
circumstances or conditions?
Circumstances refers to sb's financial situation; conditions are things such as the quality and amount of food or shelter they have. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions that affect it are usually physical ones, such as the weather.
things • (rather informal) the general situation, as it affects sb: ▪ Hi, Jane! ▪ How are things? ◊ ▪ Think things over before you decide.
the case • the true situation: ▪ If that is the case ▪ (= if the situation described is true) ▪, we need more staff.
state of affairs • a situation: ▪ How did this unhappy state of affairs come about?
situation or state of affairs?
State of affairs is mostly used with this. It is also used with adjectives describing how good or bad a situation is, such as happy, sorry, shocking, sad and unhappy, as well as those relating to time, such as present and current. Situation is much more frequent and is used in a wider variety of contexts.
in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
the/sb's economic/financial/social situation/circumstances/position/conditions
(a/an) happy/unhappy situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
to look at/review the situation/circumstances/conditions/things
Example Bank:
• Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to reschedule the concert.
• He died in tragic circumstances.
• He was a writer living in straitened circumstances.
• He was simply a victim of circumstance.
• His sentence was reduced because of the extenuating circumstances.
• I felt that circumstances were conspiring against me.
• In normal circumstances I would let you use my car, but today I need it.
• In the circumstances, you'd better call the police.
• Only if the circumstances are exceptional will we accept late applications.
• She died in rather suspicious circumstances.
• The amount paid will vary according to circumstances.
• The bank will investigate the circumstances surrounding the robbery.
• The delays were due to circumstances beyond our control.
• The plan might work better with more favourable/favorable circumstances.
• The survivors ate plants and insects by force of circumstance.
• Under no circumstances should you leave the door unlocked.
• We lost our position in the market due to a combination of circumstances.
• an unfortunate set of circumstances that made her life difficult
• life in the changing economic circumstances of China
• people facing adverse circumstances
• the tragic circumstances of his early life
• Don't open the door, in any circumstances.
• Grants are awarded according to your financial circumstances.
• He had to leave the country through force of circumstance.
• Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the boy's death.

• Under the circumstances, it seemed better not to tell him about the accident.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

circumstance / ˈsɜː.kəm.stɑːns / / ˈsɝː.kəm.stæns / noun

B2 [ C usually plural ] a fact or event that makes a situation the way it is:

I think she coped very well under the circumstances.

Obviously we can't deal with the problem until we know all the circumstances.

She died in suspicious circumstances.

We oppose capital punishment in/under any circumstances.

Under no circumstances should you (= you should not) approach the man.

The meeting has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control.

[ U ] formal events that change your life, over which you have no control:

They were victims of circumstance.

We were obliged to go by force of circumstance.

circumstances how much money someone has:

Grants are available depending on your circumstances.

By now she was alone and living in reduced circumstances (= with little money) .

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

circumstance

[sɜ͟ː(r)kəmstæns]

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:
  situation
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.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

circumstance

cir·cum·stance /ˈsɚkəmˌstæns/ noun, pl -stanc·es
1 [count] : a condition or fact that affects a situation
• I can't imagine a circumstance in/under which I would do that.
- usually plural
• If our business is to survive, we must be able to adapt to changing circumstances.
• It is impossible under these circumstances to meet our deadline.
• Do not, under any circumstances, open that door. = Under no circumstances are you to open that door. [=no matter what happens, do not open that door]
• Due to circumstances beyond our control [=things that have happened that we cannot change or influence], the flight is canceled.
• There is nothing we can do under the circumstances. [=in this specific situation]
• Given the circumstances, I think we did well. [=when you consider how everything went, I think we did well]
2 circumstances [plural] : the way something happens : the specific details of an event
• The circumstances of his death are suspicious.
3 : an event or situation that you cannot control

[noncount]

• She says that her client is a victim of circumstance and should not be blamed for the accident.

[plural]

• He was a victim of circumstances.
4 circumstances [plural] : the conditions in which someone lives
• Their circumstances changed dramatically after she lost her job.
• I don't know anything about his financial circumstances. [=about how much money he has]
• They have been forced to live in reduced circumstances. [=to live with less money]
pomp and circumstance
- see pomp