noun
circumstance
SUR-kuhmstns
noun
1
A fact or condition connected to an event, which affects how it happens or is understood.
"Under different circumstances, she might have accepted the offer."
"The police investigated the exact circumstances of the accident."
How to Use Circumstance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA detail or condition surrounding a situation that affects what happens or how it should be judged.
Common pairings
under the circumstances
extenuating circumstances
unforeseen circumstances
Word Forms
circumstanced past tense, circumstances plural, circumstances singular
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Under different _____, she might have accepted the offer.
Etymology
From Old French circonstance, from Latin circumstantia — literally "a standing around", from circum ("around") plus stare ("to stand").