Notebook, 1993-



Relations, Condition, State of Affairs, Incident, Occurrence, As Stands, Place, Narration, Display . . . . Attribute, Detail, Factor . . . . Existing, Surrounding, Affecting, Accompanying, Determining, Modifying, Influencing . . . .

R  E  F  E  R  E  N  C  E  S 
Circumstance n. 1. a condition or attribute that accompanies, determines, or modifies a fact or event; a modifying or influencing factor. 2. Usually circumstances. the existing conditions or state of affairs surroundng and affecting an agent: Circumstances permitting, we sail on Monday. 3. an unessential accompaniment; minor detail. 4. circumstances, the condition or state of a person with respect to material welfare: a family in reduced circumstances. 5. an incident or occurrence: His arrival was a fortunate circumstance. 6. detailed or circuitous narration. 7. ceremonious accompaniment or display: pomp and circumstance. 8. under no circumstances, regardless of events or conditons: never: Under no circumstances should you see them again. 9. under the circumstances, because of the conditions; as the case stands: Under the circumstances, we are suspending operations. Also. in the circumstances. -v.t. 10. to place in particular circumstances or relations. 11. Obs. a. to furnish with details. b. to control or guide by circumstances. [ME < L circumstantia (circumstant-, s. of circumstãns, prp. of circumstãre to stand round) = circum- CIRCUM- + stã- stand + -ni- prp. suffix + -ia n. suffix] [Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House, 1968.]


