"state of affairs" meaning in English

See state of affairs in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-state of affairs.ogg Forms: states of affairs [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|states of affairs}} state of affairs (plural states of affairs)
  1. (idiomatic) A specific situation; a set of circumstances. Tags: idiomatic Translations (specific situation): хәл (xəl) (Bashkir), 事態 (Chinese Mandarin), 事态 (shìtài) (Chinese Mandarin), 情況 (Chinese Mandarin), 情况 (qíngkuàng) (Chinese Mandarin), 狀態 (Chinese Mandarin), 状态 (zhuàngtài) (Chinese Mandarin), stand van zaken [masculine] (Dutch), situatie [feminine] (Dutch), toestand [masculine] (Dutch), aferstato (Esperanto), stato de aferoj (Esperanto), asiaintila (Finnish), asianlaita (Finnish), état de choses [masculine] (French), situation [feminine] (French), état des lieux [masculine] (French), საქმეთა მდგომარეობა (sakmeta mdgomareoba) (Georgian), Sachlage [feminine] (German), Lage [feminine] (German), Zustand [masculine] (German), tényállás (Hungarian), situazione (Italian), stato (Italian), stato delle cose (Italian), 事態 (jitai) (alt: じたい) (Japanese), 事体 (jitai) (alt: じたい) (Japanese), stan rzeczy [masculine] (Polish), estado de coisas [masculine] (Portuguese), circunstância [feminine] (Portuguese), положе́ние дел (položénije del) [neuter] (Russian), состоя́ние дел (sostojánije del) [neuter] (Russian), положе́ние (položénije) [neuter] (Russian), состоя́ние (sostojánije) [neuter] (Russian), suidheachadh [masculine] (Scottish Gaelic), okoliščina (Slovene), gidişat (Turkish), tình hình (Vietnamese)

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for state of affairs meaning in English (8.1kB)

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      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His uncooperative attitude creates a difficult state of affairs for all of us.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1950 January, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 13",
          "text": "Now this doubtness is an unhappy state of affairs to the lover of the steam locomotive, but we cannot, like the proverbial ostrich, bury our heads in the sand and refuse to face facts.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 17, Aditya Chakrabortty, “Can’t pay and they really do take it away: what happens when the bailiffs come knocking”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "An independent oversight body is just setting up, but at full strength it will have a core team of just five. This is a state of affairs that cossets and enriches bailiffs at the expense of families who’ve fallen into debt.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A specific situation; a set of circumstances."
      ],
      "id": "en-state_of_affairs-en-noun-QuGcckuF",
      "links": [
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        "(idiomatic) A specific situation; a set of circumstances."
      ],
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ba",
          "lang": "Bashkir",
          "roman": "xəl",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "хәл"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "事態"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "shìtài",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "事态"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "情況"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qíngkuàng",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "情况"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "狀態"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhuàngtài",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "状态"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "stand van zaken"
        },
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          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "situatie"
        },
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          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "toestand"
        },
        {
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "aferstato"
        },
        {
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "stato de aferoj"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "asiaintila"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "asianlaita"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "état de choses"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "situation"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "état des lieux"
        },
        {
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "sakmeta mdgomareoba",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "საქმეთა მდგომარეობა"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Sachlage"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Lage"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Zustand"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "tényállás"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "situazione"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "stato"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "stato delle cose"
        },
        {
          "alt": "じたい",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "jitai",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "事態"
        },
        {
          "alt": "じたい",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "jitai",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "事体"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "stan rzeczy"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "estado de coisas"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "circunstância"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "položénije del",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "положе́ние дел"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "sostojánije del",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "состоя́ние дел"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "položénije",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "положе́ние"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "sostojánije",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "состоя́ние"
        },
        {
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "suidheachadh"
        },
        {
          "code": "sl",
          "lang": "Slovene",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "okoliščina"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "gidişat"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "specific situation",
          "word": "tình hình"
        }
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  "word": "state of affairs"
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          "text": "His uncooperative attitude creates a difficult state of affairs for all of us.",
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        },
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          "ref": "1950 January, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 13",
          "text": "Now this doubtness is an unhappy state of affairs to the lover of the steam locomotive, but we cannot, like the proverbial ostrich, bury our heads in the sand and refuse to face facts.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 17, Aditya Chakrabortty, “Can’t pay and they really do take it away: what happens when the bailiffs come knocking”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "An independent oversight body is just setting up, but at full strength it will have a core team of just five. This is a state of affairs that cossets and enriches bailiffs at the expense of families who’ve fallen into debt.",
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      "glosses": [
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ba",
      "lang": "Bashkir",
      "roman": "xəl",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "хәл"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "事態"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "shìtài",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "事态"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "情況"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qíngkuàng",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "情况"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "狀態"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhuàngtài",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "状态"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "stand van zaken"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "situatie"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "toestand"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "aferstato"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "stato de aferoj"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "asiaintila"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "asianlaita"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "état de choses"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "situation"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "état des lieux"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "sakmeta mdgomareoba",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "საქმეთა მდგომარეობა"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Sachlage"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Lage"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Zustand"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "tényállás"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "situazione"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "stato"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "stato delle cose"
    },
    {
      "alt": "じたい",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "jitai",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "事態"
    },
    {
      "alt": "じたい",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "jitai",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "事体"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "stan rzeczy"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "estado de coisas"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "circunstância"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "položénije del",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "положе́ние дел"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sostojánije del",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "состоя́ние дел"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "položénije",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
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      "word": "положе́ние"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sostojánije",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "состоя́ние"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "suidheachadh"
    },
    {
      "code": "sl",
      "lang": "Slovene",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "okoliščina"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "gidişat"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "specific situation",
      "word": "tình hình"
    }
  ],
  "word": "state of affairs"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-06-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-06-20 using wiktextract (1b9bfc5 and 0136956). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.