circumstance

A circumstance is a situation or event that happens around something else, like the weather on a special day.

Think of it this way: when you're planning a picnic and there's a sudden rainstorm, that's not part of your plan but it's definitely a circumstance. Or if you win a prize in a contest, being born on a certain date or growing up in a particular city might be circumstances that contributed to your success. Circumstances can change the way things go or affect how people feel about them. They're like tiny events that swirl around what's already happening and sometimes make it more complicated or interesting.