circumstance
Factor affecting outcomes
Circumstance refers to conditions surrounding an event or situation—the facts that provide context: Under the circumstances, we had no choice.
Often plural: Financial circumstances forced them to move.
Circumstances shape how we judge actions: extenuating circumstances, mitigating circumstances.
The phrase pomp and circumstance means ceremonial display.
To be a victim of circumstance is to suffer from conditions beyond your control.
Chance affecting outcomes
- fortuneWealth or destiny
- accidentUnintended harmful event
- coincidenceUnplanned matching of events
- serendipityAccidental fortunate discovery
fortuity · fluke · randomness · contingency · happenstance · probability · uncertainty · odds
Difficult, unpleasant situation
- plightDifficult, dangerous situation
- scenarioPostulated event sequence
- caseContainer or instance
- stateCondition or mode
position · juncture · conjuncture · affair · quandary · dilemma · strait · bind
Something that takes place
- happeningEvent in progress
- incidentA distinct event
- episodeSerialized content unit
- developmentProgress toward maturity
outcome · accident · phenomenon · eventuality · occasion · contingency · happenstance · transpiration
Context of events
- milieuSocial or cultural surroundings
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- backdropRear stage scenery
- backgroundOne's formative experiences
atmosphere · climate · environment · conditions · terrain · landscape · sphere · arena
Predetermined course of events
- providenceDivine protective care
- karmaSpiritual cause and effect
- kismetPreordained future outcome
- lotLarge amount or portion
fortune · doom · predestination · inevitability · predetermination · foreordination · wheel of fortune · stars
Individual facts or details
- specificsExact details of something
- factorsContributors to a result
- aspectsDistinct elements or sides
- elementsFundamental parts or substances
features · points · variables · facets · nuances · minutiae · intricacies · ins and outs
Points where things start
- upbringingChildhood care and training
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- historyRecord of past events
lineage · roots · pedigree · antecedents · provenance · genesis · foundation · birthplace
luck
Chance affecting outcomes
- fortuneWealth or destiny
- accidentUnintended harmful event
- coincidenceUnplanned matching of events
serendipity · fortuity · fluke · randomness · contingency · happenstance · probability · uncertainty · odds · gamble
predicament
Difficult, unpleasant situation
state · position · juncture · conjuncture · affair · quandary · dilemma · strait · bind · fix
occurrence
Something that takes place
development · outcome · accident · phenomenon · eventuality · occasion · contingency · happenstance · transpiration · emergence
setting
Context of events
background · atmosphere · climate · environment · conditions · terrain · landscape · sphere · arena · domain
destiny
Predetermined course of events
- providenceDivine protective care
- karmaSpiritual cause and effect
- kismetPreordained future outcome
lot · fortune · doom · predestination · inevitability · predetermination · foreordination · wheel of fortune · stars · ordained
particulars
Individual facts or details
elements · features · points · variables · facets · nuances · minutiae · intricacies · ins and outs · nitty-gritty
origins
Points where things start
- upbringingChildhood care and training
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- ancestryFamily line of descent
history · lineage · roots · pedigree · antecedents · provenance · genesis · foundation · birthplace · tradition
- happeningshappenings, happening, event, occurrence, events
- situationssituation, condition, state, predicament, dilemma
- moral theologyconscience, mortal sin, venial sin, natural law, moral law
- discoursediscussion, discourse, text analysis, dialogue, cohesion
- eventsevent, events, party, parties, wedding
- evidenceevidence, evidence bag, proof, admissible, findings
circumstanceintention
Planned purpose for acting
design · plan · purpose · deliberation · scheme
circumstanceevent
A notable occurrence
action · deed · act · occurrence · incident
circumstancegenerality
Nonspecific broad assertion
universal · abstraction · principle · rule · law
- under no circumstancesEmphatic total prohibition
- pomp and circumstanceShowy formal ceremony
- unforeseen circumstancesUnplanned events affecting outcomes
- under the circumstances
- mitigating circumstancesConditions lessening apparent guilt
- extenuating circumstanceCondition reducing culpability