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Meaning & use

under what circumstances

phrase·Academicformal

Last updated

UK/ˌʌndə wɒt ˈsɜːkəmstənsɪz/
US/ˌʌndɚ wʌt ˈsɝːkəmstænsɪz/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    Used to ask in which situations or conditions something would be possible, allowed or likely.

    Grammar: Starts a question and is followed by normal question order: under what circumstances can a contract end?

    Patterns

    • under what circumstances can someone do something
    • under what circumstances would something happen

    Under what circumstances can a landlord enter the apartment?

    Under what circumstances would you consider moving abroad?

    Under what circumstances is it acceptable to cancel a flight?

  2. phrasefixed phrase

    Used in a statement or indirect question to refer to the particular conditions in which something happens.

    Grammar: In an indirect question the verb follows the subject: she asked under what circumstances the rule applied.

    Patterns

    • ask under what circumstances
    • explain under what circumstances

    The lawyer explained under what circumstances the agreement could be broken.

    I wonder under what circumstances he would change his mind.

    The manual states under what circumstances the warranty is void.

Common combinations

under what circumstances can
Under what circumstances can a contract be ended early?
under what circumstances would
Under what circumstances would you lie to a friend?
ask under what circumstances
The judge asked under what circumstances the police had entered.
under what circumstances should
Under what circumstances should the alarm be switched off?
under what circumstances is it
Under what circumstances is it legal to record a call?

Synonyms and how they differ

in what situations
In what situations is plainer and more conversational, while under what circumstances sounds more formal or legal.
when
When is shorter and asks about time or condition in a simple way, but it is less precise about the conditions involved.
on what conditions
On what conditions focuses on requirements that must be met, whereas under what circumstances asks about the situation as a whole.
in which cases
In which cases suggests a list of separate examples, and it is common in legal and technical writing.

Opposites

under no circumstances

Word family

circumstance noun
a fact or condition connected to an event
circumstances noun
the conditions around an event or person
circumstantial adjective
depending on the details of a situation
circumstantially adverb
because of the situation

Commonly confused: under what circumstances or under the circumstances?

under what circumstances vs under the circumstances

Under the circumstances is a statement meaning given the situation, as in he did well under the circumstances; under what circumstances is a question about conditions.

Practice

Under what circumstances ___ a refund be refused?

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