# circumstance

/ˈsɝkəmˌstæns/ (US) · /sˈɜːkəmstˌæns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/circumstance
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. surrounding facts

noun · CEFR B2

a fact or condition that is connected to an event or action.

For teachers: a condition or fact that accompanies or determines the nature of an event. Often used in the plural to describe the context of an action.

- The police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident.
- The committee must consider the mitigating circumstances before deciding whether to expel the student for his conduct.

Usage: Commonly used in the plural form 'circumstances' when referring to a general situation.

### 2. life situation

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

the situation you are in, especially how much money you have.

For teachers: the state of one's financial or social affairs; one's worldly estate.

- Due to a change in her personal circumstances, she had to move to a smaller house.
- He found himself in reduced circumstances after the family business collapsed during the economic downturn.

Usage: Almost always plural in this sense.

Teaching tip: This is a polite way to talk about someone's wealth or lack of it.

### 3. ceremony

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

formal activities or ceremonies.

For teachers: ceremonial display or formal ritual; often paired with 'pomp'.

- The king was crowned with great pomp and circumstance.
- The state funeral was conducted with all the pomp and circumstance befitting a former head of state.

Usage: Most commonly found in the fixed idiom 'pomp and circumstance'.

## Examples

- The police are investigating the circumstances of the accident.
- Under normal circumstances, we would finish the report by Friday, but the power outage has delayed us.
- The judge noted that while the crime was serious, the mitigating circumstances of the defendant's upbringing warranted a more lenient sentence than the maximum allowed by law.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.