CIRCUMSTANCES

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does circumstances mean? 

• CIRCUMSTANCES (noun)
  The noun CIRCUMSTANCES has 3 senses:

1. your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
2. the state (usually personal) with regard to wealth
3. a person's financial situation (good or bad)

  Familiarity information: CIRCUMSTANCES used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CIRCUMSTANCES (noun)

Meaning:

Your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

circumstances; luck; destiny; fate; lot; fortune; portion

Context examples:

whatever my fortune may be / deserved a better fate / has a happy lot / the luck of the Irish / a victim of circumstances / success that was her portion

Hypernyms ("circumstances" is a kind of...):

condition (a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circumstances"):

good fortune; good luck; luckiness (an auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes)

providence (a manifestation of God's foresightful care for his creatures)

bad luck; ill luck; misfortune; tough luck (an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes)

failure (lack of success)

Meaning:

The state (usually personal) with regard to wealth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

each person was helped according to his circumstances

Hypernyms ("circumstances" is a kind of...):

wealth; wealthiness (the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money)

Meaning:

A person's financial situation (good or bad)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Context example:

he found himself in straitened circumstances

Hypernyms ("circumstances" is a kind of...):

possession (anything owned or possessed)