circumstance

[sur-kuhm-stans, -stuhns] / ˈsɜr kəmˌstæns, -stəns /

NOUN

situation, condition

Synonyms

STRONGEST

accident action case cause coincidence crisis detail event fact factor fate incident matter occurrence status thing time

STRONG

adjunct affair article concern contingency destiny doom element episode exigency feature fortuity go happening happenstance intervention item juncture kismet lot occasion particular phase place point portion proviso respect scene stipulation supervention

WEAK

Moira where it's at

Antonyms

STRONGEST

plan

STRONG

whole

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“If this resilience were confirmed in the current circumstance, the expected drag on aggregate demand might be insufficient to eliminate the growing risk of inflation settling above target over the medium term,” the account said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

But he apologised for not seeking further advice as the company began working on defence matters, saying this was "an oversight for which the excessive speed of events is the only mitigating circumstance".

From BBC • May 19, 2026

“And it’s only an unfortunate circumstance of this huge epidemic that we were able to get samples and look at chains of transmission and really understand what the virus is doing to people.”

From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026

His intense focus can help take the emotion out of any unforeseen circumstance.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

I meditated upon the peculiar circumstance, that but a half mile away, across the Neck, my former companions—good Mr. G—g among them—glowered back from the fortifications at Roxbury.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Vocabulary lists containing circumstance

List 8

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Around and Around: Circum

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Excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

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