Definition of "circumstance"

The circumstances are well known in the country where they happened.

1819, Washington Irving, The Broken Heart

The story of this adoption is, of course, the pivot round which all the circumstances of the mysterious tragedy revolved. Mrs. Yule had an only son, namely, William, to whom she was passionately attached; but, like many a fond mother, she had the desire of mapping out that son's future entirely according to her own ideas. […]

1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 1, in The Tragedy in Dartmoor Terrace

I have ſeen Two or Three antique Buſts of Alexander in the ſame Air and Poſture, and am apt to think the Sculptor had in his Thoughts the Conqueror's weeping for new Worlds, or ſome other the like Circumſtance of his History.

1705, J[oseph] Addison, “Florence”, in Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], page 413

Then another circumstance happened, which made a lasting impression on my memory, though I was but a small child.

1834, David Crockett, chapter I, in A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, of the State of Tennessee. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: E[dward] L[awrence] Carey and A[braham] Hart; Boston, Mass.: Allen & Ticknor, page 20

Right, you are in the right, and therefore / I holde it meet without more circumſtance at all, / Wee ſhake hands and part; […]

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, [Act I, scene v]

When men are eaſy in their circumſtances, they are naturally enemies to innovations: […]

1716 May 25 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 42. Monday, May 14. ”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, page 514

Frank muttered something. Tidings had in some shape reached his ears that his father was not comfortably circumstanced as regarded money.

1858, Anthony Trollope, “Matrimonial Prospects”, in Doctor Thorne. […], volume I, London: Chapman & Hall, […], page 184

While also taxing Ferrein with the same motives, Diderot's account of his doings is much more circumstanced than La Mettrie's, and also much more amusing, thanks to the interpolation of the «bijoux» motif.

1949, Diderot Studies, volume 11, page 170