circumstance
pronunciation
How to pronounce circumstance in British English:
UK [ˈsɜːkəmstəns]
How to pronounce circumstance in American English:
US [ˈsɜːrkəmstæns]
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- Noun:
- a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
- the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event
- information that should be kept in mind when making a decision
- formal ceremony about important occasions
Word Origin
- circumstance
- circumstance: see statue
- circumstance (n.)
- early 13c., "conditions surrounding and accompanying an event," from Old French circonstance "circumstance, situation," also literally, "outskirts" (13c., Modern French circonstance), from Latin circumstantia "surrounding condition," neuter plural of circumstans (genitive circumstantis), present participle of circumstare "stand around, surround, encompass, occupy, take possession of" from circum "around" (see circum-) + stare "to stand" from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). The Latin word is a loan-translation of Greek peristasis. Meaning "a person's surroundings, environment" is from mid-14c. Meaning "a detail" is from c. 1300; sense of "that which is non-essential" is from 1590s. Obsolete sense of "formality about an important event" (late 14c.) lingers in Shakespeare's phrase pomp and circumstance ("Othello" III, iii).
Example
- 1. External circumstance may change but they are not important anymore .
- 2. Everything suggests that germany will continue to adapt policy to circumstance .
- 3. Mr blankfein knows about adapting to altered circumstance better than anyone .
- 4. Freedom doesn 't rely on achieving any specific circumstance in the future .
- 5. How does one know what to do in a particular circumstance ?