Synonyms for circumstance
ˈsɜr kəmˌstæns; esp. Brit. -stənscir·cum·stance

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 4 votes

1. circumstance

   A circumstance (Latin circum, around, and sto, stand), is something existing or occurring in connection with or relation to some other fact or event, modifying or throwing light upon the principal matter without affecting its essential character; an accompaniment is something that unites with the principal matter, tho not necessary to it; as, the piano accompaniment to a song; a concomitant goes with a thing in natural connection, but in a subordinate capacity, or perhaps in contrast; as, cheerfulness is a concomitant of virtue. A circumstance is not strictly, nor usually, an occasion, condition, effect, or result. (See these words under CAUSE.) Nor is the circumstance properly an incident. (See under ACCIDENT.) We say, "My decision will depend upon circumstances" — not "upon incidents." That a man wore a blue necktie would not probably be the cause, occasion, condition, or concomitant of his committing murder; but it might be a very important circumstance in identifying him as the murderer. All the circumstances make up the situation. A certain disease is the cause of a man's death; his suffering is an incident; that he is in his own home, that he has good medical attendance, careful nursing, etc., are consolatory circumstances. With the same idea of subordination, we often say, "This is not a circumstance to that." So a person is said to be in easy circumstances. Compare EVENT.

   Synonyms:
   accompaniment, concomitant, detail, event, fact, feature, incident, item, occurrence, particular, point, position, situation

   Preposition:
   "Mere situation is expressed by 'in the circumstances'; action affected is performed 'under the circumstances.'" [Murray's "New English Dictionary"]

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. circumstance

   Synonyms:
   detail, feature, point, event, occurrence, incident, situation, position, fact, topic, condition, particular, specialty

   Antonyms:
   deed, case, transaction

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. circumstancenoun

   a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

   Synonyms:
   condition, context, setting, consideration

2. context, circumstance, settingnoun

   the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event

   "the historical context"

   Synonyms:
   context of use, setting, background, stage setting, mount, scope, mise en scene, linguistic context, consideration, context, scene, place setting, condition

3. circumstance, condition, considerationnoun

   information that should be kept in mind when making a decision

   "another consideration is the time it would take"

   Synonyms:
   condition, retainer, setting, shape, status, precondition, thoughtfulness, term, consideration, context, considerateness, experimental condition, stipulation

4. circumstancenoun

   formal ceremony about important occasions

   "pomp and circumstance"

   Synonyms:
   condition, context, setting, consideration

Matched Categories

1. • Ceremony
   • Condition
   • Information

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. circumstancenoun

   Synonyms:
   incident, accident, subsidiary fact

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "circumstance":

   circumstances, improvised, situation, fact, circumstantial

How to pronounce circumstance?

How to say circumstance in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use circumstance in a sentence?

1. Rabia Muqaddam:

   If I was the hospital general counsel and I was looking at these laws, I have absolutely no idea what my physician could or could not do in any particular circumstance.

2. Butler:

   Man is supreme lord and master Of his own ruin and disaster, Controls his fate, but nothing less In ordering his own happiness: For all his care and providence Is too feeble a defence To render it secure and certain Against the injuries of Fortune; And oft, in spite of all his wit, Is lost by one unlucky hit, And ruined with a circumstance, And mere punctilio of a chance.

3. Merrick Garland:

   The government -- we would support legislation that would allow some of that money to go directly to Ukraine, that's not the current circumstance with respect to the fund.

4. Troy Sanders:

   We cloak it in metaphor -- instead of painting a very literal picture of the person sick in bed we have broader brush strokes and try to create some kind of fantastical environment that mimics that particular situation and within that fantastical environment you can change the circumstance and make them something more triumphant. if you are good friends someone, and you are with one another and have a very strong relationship I think it’s a wonderful and healthy thing to do to be supportive and be physically present and again turning all these emotions into something productive. Turning this darkness into something bright and positive or at least attempting to.

5. Trey Gowdy:

   I asked him once, have you ever been stopped in a circumstance when you thought you weren't doing anything wrong. He goes, 'all the time,' i never had to live with that. I don't know what that feels like. Nobody has ever stopped me walking into the Capitol, making sure I was credentialed. If there is a bitterness about it, he keeps it incredibly well concealed.