circumstance

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circumstance

  • /ˈsɜːkəmst(ə)ns/ New Zealand, UK
  • /-ɑːns/ New Zealand, UK
  • /-æns/ New Zealand, UK
  • /ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/ US
  • /ˈsɜːkəmstæns/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /-aːns/ Australia, New Zealand

Where it comes from

From Middle English circumstaunce, from Old French circonstance, from Latin circumstantia.

noun circumstances · circumstaunce

  1. countable, uncountable Something which is related to, or in some way affects, a fact or event. The report should focus on to the current circumstances of the organisation, to help us find a way to grow in the future.
  2. countable, uncountable An event; a fact; a particular incident, occurrence, or condition (status). I have ſeen Two or Three antique Buſts of Alexander in the ſame Air and Poſture, and am apt to think the Sculptor had in his Thoughts the Conqueror's weeping for new Worlds, or ſome other the like Circumſtance of his History.
  3. archaic, countable, uncountable Evasive or indirect language; circumlocution. Right, you are in the right, and therefore / I holde it meet without more circumſtance at all, / Wee ſhake hands and part; […]
  4. countable, uncountable Condition in regard to worldly estate; state of property; situation; surroundings. She was born into comfortable circumstances.

Similar: circumstance, position, posture

verb circumstances · circumstancing · circumstanced · circumstaunce

  1. To place in a particular situation, especially with regard to money or other resources. Frank muttered something. Tidings had in some shape reached his ears that his father was not comfortably circumstanced as regarded money.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: consideration, context, condition, case, occurrence, event, situation, occasion, expedient, contingency, status, fact, circumstantial, course, occasional, factor

noun

Similar: circumstance, position, posture

Translations

Every language

noun that which attends, or relates to, or in some way affects, a fact or event

Españolcircunstancia, tesitura, arrequives
한국어상황 sanghwang
日本語状況 jōkyō, 事情 jijō
中文情況 /情况 qíngkuàng, 狀態 /状态 zhuàngtài
हिन्दीपरिस्थिति paristhiti
Portuguêscircunstância
Françaiscirconstance
DeutschUmstand
Italianocircostanza
Românăcircumstanță, împrejurare
Русскийобстоя́тельство obstojátelʹstvo, усло́вие uslóvije, ситуа́ция situácija, положе́ние položénije
Tiếng Việthoàn cảnh
العربيةحَالَة ḥāla, ظَرْف ẓarf
עבריתנסיבות nesibot

noun event; fact; particular incident

Españolcircunstancia
한국어사건 sageon
日本語事件 jiken
中文事件 shìjiàn
हिन्दीप्रसंग prasaṅg
Portuguêscircunstância
DeutschUmstand
Italianodettaglio, caso
Românăîmprejurare
Русскийобстоя́тельство obstojátelʹstvo, слу́чай slúčaj

noun circumlocution; detail

中文詳情 /详情 xiángqíng, 細節 /细节 xìjié
Portuguêscircunstância
Italianocirconlocuzione
Русскийдета́ль detálʹ, подро́бность podróbnostʹ, ча́стность částnostʹ

noun condition in regard to worldly estate

Portuguêscircunstância
Italianosituazione
Русскийматериа́льное положе́ние materiálʹnoje položénije

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Cite this
MLA

"circumstance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/circumstance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

circumstance. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/circumstance

Chicago

"circumstance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/circumstance.

BibTeX
@misc{circumstance_2026,
  title = {circumstance},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/circumstance},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}