cir‧cum‧stance S2 W1 AC / sɜkəmstæns, -stəns $ sɜr- / 名词

1 [可数名词，通常复数] the conditions that affect a situation, action, event etc :

The Soviet Union had been forced by circumstances to sign a pact with Nazi Germany.

I can’t imagine a circumstance in which I would be willing to steal.

in … circumstances

The rules can only be waived in exceptional circumstances.

under … circumstances

Prisoners can only leave their cells under certain circumstances.

2 under no circumstances ( also in no circumstances British English ) used to emphasize that something must definitely not happen :

Under no circumstances are you to go out.

3 under/given the circumstances ( also in the circumstances British English ) used to say that a particular situation makes an action, decision etc necessary, acceptable, or true when it would not normally be :

It’s the best result that could be expected under the circumstances.

4 [不可数名词] formal the combination of facts, events etc that influence your life, and that you cannot control :

He was a victim of circumstance .

5 circumstances [复数形式] formal the conditions in which you live, especially how much money you have

economic/financial/personal etc circumstances

Whether or not you qualify for a loan will depend on your financial circumstances.

people living in difficult social circumstances

in reduced circumstances old-fashioned (= with much less money than you used to have )

→ pomp and circumstance at pomp

COLLOCATIONS

形容词

in/under certain circumstances (= if particular conditions exist ) In certain circumstances you may be refused a visa.

exceptional/special circumstances The court may allow this evidence in exceptional circumstances.

normal circumstances In normal circumstances, a child’s language will develop naturally.

particular circumstances (= special or specific ) There may be particular circumstances in which this rule will not apply.

difficult circumstances Many teachers are doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.

suspicious circumstances (= making you think something illegal has happened ) Officers said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

mysterious circumstances (= strange or suspicious ) One of their colleagues had vanished in mysterious circumstances.

unusual circumstances There were several unusual circumstances that night.

unforeseen circumstances (= that you did not realize would happen ) The tragedy was the result of a series of unforeseen circumstances.

tragic circumstances (= extremely sad and unfortunate ) Both parents had died in tragic circumstances.

extenuating/mitigating circumstances (= conditions that make it reasonable for someone to break the rules or law ) Hunger and poverty are not treated by the courts as extenuating circumstances.

短语

a set/combination of circumstances This was a very unusual set of circumstances.

the circumstances surrounding something Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.

due to circumstances beyond sb’s control Occasionally flights are cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control.