circumstance

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A condition or fact attending an event and having some bearing on it; a determining or modifying factor.
2. n. A condition or fact that determines or must be considered in the determining of a course of action.
3. n. The sum of determining factors beyond willful control. Often used in the plural: a victim of circumstance; work that will begin on Monday if circumstances permit.
4. n. Financial status or means: "Prior came of a good family, much reduced in circumstances” ( George Sherburn).
5. n. Detail accompanying or surrounding an event, as in a narrative or series of events.
6. n. Formal display; ceremony: the pomp and circumstance of a coronation.
7. n. A particular incident or occurrence: Your arrival was a fortunate circumstance. See Synonyms at occurrence.
8. v. To place in particular circumstances or conditions; situate.
9. idiom. under no circumstances In no case; never.
10. idiom. under Given these conditions; such being the case.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A fact related to another fact and modifying or throwing light upon its meaning, significance, importance, etc., without affecting its essential nature; something attending, appendant, or relative; something incidental; an accidental or unessential accompaniment; especially, some fact which gives rise to a certain presumption or tends to afford evidence.
2. n. A particular or detail; a matter of small consequence: as, that is a mere circumstance compared to what followed.
3. n. Collectively, detail; minuteness; specification of particulars.
4. n. A ceremonious accompaniment; a formality required by law or custom; more specifically, in a concrete sense, adjuncts of pomp and ceremony; ceremonies; display.
5. n. The surroundings, rarely of a thing, generally of a person; existing condition or state of things; facts external to a person considered as helping or, more especially, as hindering his designs, or as inducing him to act in a certain way; predicament, unforeseen or unprovided for; a person's worldly estate, or condition of wealth or poverty; fortune; means: generally in the plural.
6. n. Event; occurrence; incident.
7. To place in a particular situation or condition with regard to attending facts or incidents: only in the past participle: as, he was so circumstanced that he could not accept.
8. To control or guide by circumstances: only in the following passage.
9. To furnish or dress out with incidents and details; add circumstances to.

Wiktionary

1. n. That which attends, or relates to, or in some way affects, a fact or event; an attendant thing or state of things.
2. n. An event; a fact; a particular incident.
3. n. Circumlocution; detail.
4. n. Condition in regard to worldly estate; state of property; situation; surroundings.
5. v. To place in a particular situation, especially with regard to money or other resources.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. That which attends, or relates to, or in some way affects, a fact or event; an attendant thing or state of things.
2. n. An event; a fact; a particular incident.
3. n. obsolete Circumlocution; detail.
4. n. Condition in regard to worldly estate; state of property; situation; surroundings.
5. v. To place in a particular situation; to supply relative incidents.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. information that should be kept in mind when making a decision
2. n. the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event
3. n. a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
4. n. formal ceremony about important occasions