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Another word for circumstance

a-z
Noun

  1. Existing surroundings that affect an activity.

    See also:

    be

  2. One of the conditions or facts attending an event and having some bearing on it

      1. Of, belonging to, or associated with a specific person, group, thing, or category; not general or universal:
      2. Distinctive among others of the same group, category, or nature; noteworthy or exceptional:
      3. Of, relating to, or providing details; precise:
      1. One that actively contributes to an accomplishment, result, or process:
      2. One who acts for someone else; an agent.
      3. One who purchases accounts receivable at a discount.
      1. Knowledge or information based on real occurrences:
      2. Something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed:
      3. A real occurrence; an event:
      1. An individual part or item; a particular:
      2. Particulars considered individually and in relation to a whole:
      3. A minor or an inconsequential item or aspect; a minutia:
    See also:

    real

  3. Something that happens

      1. An object or entity that is not or cannot be named specifically:
      2. An individual object, especially an inanimate object:
      3. A creature:
      1. The action, fact, or instance of occurring:
      2. Something that takes place; an event or incident:
      1. An event or happening, or the time of an event or happening:
      2. A significant event, especially a large or important social gathering:
      3. A favorable or appropriate time or juncture:
      1. A particular occurrence, especially one of minor importance.
      2. An event in a narrative or drama.
      3. A usually violent or disruptive occurrence, especially one that precipitates a larger crisis:
      1. Something that takes place; an event or incident.
      2. An improvised, often spontaneous spectacle or performance, especially one involving audience participation.
      3. Popular or trendy:
      1. Something that takes place, especially a significant occurrence.
      2. A social gathering or activity:
      3. A contest in a sports competition, such as a meet:
    See also:

    happen

  4. Something significant that happens

      1. An object or entity that is not or cannot be named specifically:
      2. An individual object, especially an inanimate object:
      3. A creature:
      1. The action, fact, or instance of occurring:
      2. Something that takes place; an event or incident:
      1. An event or happening, or the time of an event or happening:
      2. A significant event, especially a large or important social gathering:
      3. A favorable or appropriate time or juncture:
      1. Information about recent events or happenings, especially as reported by means of newspapers, websites, radio, television, and other forms of media.
      2. A presentation of such information, as in a newspaper or on a newscast:
      3. New information of any kind:
      1. A particular occurrence, especially one of minor importance.
      2. An event in a narrative or drama.
      3. A usually violent or disruptive occurrence, especially one that precipitates a larger crisis:
      1. Something that takes place; an event or incident.
      2. An improvised, often spontaneous spectacle or performance, especially one involving audience participation.
      3. Popular or trendy:
      1. Something that takes place, especially a significant occurrence.
      2. A social gathering or activity:
      3. A contest in a sports competition, such as a meet:
      1. A separate part of a serialized work, such as a novel or television series.
      2. A section of a classic Greek tragedy that occurs between two choric songs.
      3. An incident or event that is part of a progression or a larger sequence:
      1. The application of techniques or technology to the production of new goods or services.
      2. The business of constructing buildings or otherwise altering land for new uses.
      3. A significant event, occurrence, or change:
    See also:

    happen

© Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Another word for circumstance

Noun

  1. An attendant condition

      1. The unknown and unpredictable element in happenings that seems to have no assignable cause.
      2. A force assumed to cause events that cannot be foreseen or controlled; luck:
      3. The likelihood of something happening; possibility or probability:
      1. The state or fact of occupying the same relative position or area in space.
      2. A sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged.
      1. A chance occurrence or event.
      2. The quality or condition of being fortuitous.
      1. The act or process of intervening:
      2. The systematic process of assessment and planning employed to remediate or prevent a social, educational, or developmental problem:
      3. An act that alters the course of a disease, injury, or condition by initiating a treatment or performing a procedure or surgery.
      1. A pressing or urgent situation:
      2. An urgent requirement; a pressing need:
      1. The act of joining or the condition of being joined.
      2. A place where two things are joined; a junction or joint.
      3. A point in time, especially one requiring a decision to be made:
      1. The action, fact, or instance of occurring:
      2. Something that takes place; an event or incident:
      1. Something attached to another in a dependent or subordinate position.
      2. A person associated with another in a subordinate or auxiliary capacity.
      3. A clause or phrase added to a sentence that, while not essential to the sentence's structure, amplifies its meaning, such as for several hours in We waited for several hours.
      1. Something that takes place, especially a significant occurrence.
      2. A social gathering or activity:
      3. A contest in a sports competition, such as a meet:
      1. An object or entity that is not or cannot be named specifically:
      2. An individual object, especially an inanimate object:
      3. A creature:
      1. That which occupies space and has mass; physical substance.
      2. A type of such substance:
      3. Discharge or waste, such as pus or feces, from a living organism.
      1. To have to do with or relate to:
      2. To be of interest or importance to:
      3. To engage the attention of; involve:
      1. The act of stipulating.
      2. Something specified or agreed to, as in a contract.
      3. The document or agreement, or a provision in a document or agreement, specifying something that is agreed to.
      1. An individual thing or element of a class; a particular object or item:
      2. A particular section or item of a series in a written document, as in a contract, constitution, or treaty.
      3. A nonfictional literary composition that forms an independent part of a publication, as of a newspaper or magazine.
      1. A clause in a document imposing a qualification, condition, or restriction.
      1. A particular occurrence, especially one of minor importance.
      2. An event in a narrative or drama.
      3. A usually violent or disruptive occurrence, especially one that precipitates a larger crisis:
      1. A sharp or tapered end:
      2. An object having a sharp or tapered end:
      3. A tapering extension of land projecting into water; a peninsula, cape, or promontory.
      1. Any of the distinct parts of the face, as the eyes, nose, or mouth.
      2. The overall appearance of the face or its parts.
      3. A prominent or distinctive part, quality, or characteristic:
      1. Of, belonging to, or associated with a specific person, group, thing, or category; not general or universal:
      2. Distinctive among others of the same group, category, or nature; noteworthy or exceptional:
      3. Of, relating to, or providing details; precise:
      1. A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity.
      2. The basic assumptions or principles of a subject.
      3. A member of a set.
      1. Position relative to that of others; standing:
      2. High standing; prestige:
      3. The legal character or condition of a person or thing:
      1. A condition or mode of being, as with regard to circumstances:
      2. A condition of being in a stage or form, as of structure, growth, or development:
      3. A mental or emotional condition:
      1. The producer of an effect, result, or consequence.
      2. The one, such as a person, event, or condition, that is responsible for an action or result.
      3. A basis for an action or response; a reason:
      1. A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.
      2. An interval separating two points on this continuum; a duration:
      3. A number, as of years, days, or minutes, representing such an interval:
      1. An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space.
      2. Room or space, especially adequate space:
      3. The particular portion of space occupied by or allocated to a person or thing.
      1. An instance or occurrence of a particular kind or category:
      2. An occurrence of a disease or disorder:
      3. A set of circumstances or a state of affairs; a situation:
      1. Knowledge or information based on real occurrences:
      2. Something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed:
      3. A real occurrence; an event:
      1. A single article or unit in a collection, enumeration, or series.
      2. A clause of a document, such as a bill or charter.
      3. An entry in an account.
      1. An individual part or item; a particular:
      2. Particulars considered individually and in relation to a whole:
      3. A minor or an inconsequential item or aspect; a minutia:
      1. One that actively contributes to an accomplishment, result, or process:
      2. One who acts for someone else; an agent.
      3. One who purchases accounts receivable at a discount.
      1. A distinct stage of development:
      2. A temporary manner, attitude, or pattern of behavior:
      3. An aspect; a part:
      1. An event that may occur but that is not likely or intended; a possibility.
      2. A possibility that must be prepared for; a future emergency.
      3. The condition of being dependent on chance; uncertainty.
      1. A mode or state of being:
      2. Existing circumstances:
      3. Social position; rank.
      1. The combination of circumstances at a given moment; a state of affairs.
      2. A critical, problematic, or striking set of circumstances:
      3. The way in which something is positioned vis-à-vis its surroundings:
    See also:

    state

  2. An occurrence

      1. A particular occurrence, especially one of minor importance.
      2. An event in a narrative or drama.
      3. A usually violent or disruptive occurrence, especially one that precipitates a larger crisis:
      1. Something that takes place; an event or incident.
      2. An improvised, often spontaneous spectacle or performance, especially one involving audience participation.
      3. Popular or trendy:
      1. A separate part of a serialized work, such as a novel or television series.
      2. A section of a classic Greek tragedy that occurs between two choric songs.
      3. An incident or event that is part of a progression or a larger sequence:
      1. Something that takes place, especially a significant occurrence.
      2. A social gathering or activity:
      3. A contest in a sports competition, such as a meet:
    See also:

    occurrence

    event

© WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD® ROGET’S A-Z THESAURUS by Charlton Laird and the editors of Webster’s New World dictionaries. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sentence Examples

  • To throw that away because of an accident of circumstance would be a tragedy.

  • Every circumstance now conspired to effect his fall.

  • It was this latter circumstance which ultimately led to its abolition.

  • They were men of ideas who were forced by circumstance to become soldiers.

  • It was now proposed that he should be accredited as Bavarian ambassador in London; but the circumstance that he was a British subject presented an insurmountable obstacle.

More sentences →

Words that mention circumstance in the Dictionary

Words near circumstance in the Thesaurus