| Library / English Dictionary |
CIRCUMSTANCE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Information that should be kept in mind when making a decision
Example:
another consideration is the time it would take
Synonyms:
circumstance; condition; consideration
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("circumstance" is a kind of...):
information (knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circumstance"):
justification (something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary)
mitigating circumstance ((law) a circumstance that does not exonerate a person but which reduces the penalty associated with the offense)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Formal ceremony about important occasions
Example:
pomp and circumstance
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("circumstance" is a kind of...):
ceremonial; ceremonial occasion; ceremony; observance (a formal event performed on a special occasion)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("circumstance" is a kind of...):
condition; status (a state at a particular time)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circumstance"):
case; event (a special set of circumstances)
hinge (a circumstance upon which subsequent events depend)
playing field (the circumstances under which competition occurs)
Sense 4
Meaning:
The set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event
Example:
the historical context
Synonyms:
circumstance; context; setting
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("circumstance" is a kind of...):
environment (the totality of surrounding conditions)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circumstance"):
conditions (the set of circumstances that affect someone's welfare)
conditions (the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process)
Derivation:
circumstantial (fully detailed and specific about particulars)
Context examples:
They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
I revolved these circumstances in my mind and determined thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to those branches of natural philosophy which relate to physiology.
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
A physical quantity that is constant in all circumstances throughout the universe (e.g., speed of light c, elementary charge, the gravitational constant G).
(Fundamental Physical Constant, NCI Thesaurus)
Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit.
(ESS - Lying Down to Rest in the Afternoon When Circumstances Permit, NCI Thesaurus)
A method of pain control used primarily in pediatrics that combines distracting the patient's attention away from the painful procedure or circumstance.
(Distraction, NCI Thesaurus)
A feeling of being unable to control yourself or your circumstances.
(Helpessness, NCI Thesaurus)
An event, entity or condition that typically characterizes a prescribed environment or situation and determines or aids in determining whether certain stated circumstances exist or criteria are satisfied.
(Indicator, NCI Thesaurus)
Not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances.
(Near, NCI Thesaurus)
A question about an individual's activity of lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit.
(Lying Down for Afternoon Rest when Circumstances Permit, NCI Thesaurus)
Images may need to be repeated, depending on the clinical circumstances.
(Limited Quality, NCI Thesaurus)
