# circumstance

Pronunciation: say "SUR-kuhm-stans" US /ˈsɝ.kəmˌstæns/, AUS /ˈsɜːkəmstæns/; UK say "SUR-kuhm-stuhns" /ˈsɜːkəmst(ə)ns/

## Noun

1. A fact, event, or condition that is connected with or affects a situation or event, often in the plural.
   - Simple: A fact or event that is part of a situation or changes what happens.
   - _The detective weighed every circumstance surrounding the disappearance._
   - _Several circumstances combined to make the project succeed._
2. A person's condition with regard to money and property, and more generally their situation and surroundings in life.
   - Simple: The state of someone's money, property, and living conditions.
   - _The family found themselves in reduced circumstances after the business failed._
   - _The scholarship is open to every qualified student, regardless of financial circumstance._

## Noun

3. Evasive or indirect language; circumlocution, talking around a subject rather than addressing it directly. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Roundabout or indirect speech that avoids getting straight to the point.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To set someone in a particular situation, especially with respect to their wealth or means of living.

## Origin

Latin "circumstantia" passed into Old French as "circonstance," which Middle English borrowed as "circumstaunce."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/circumstance (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).