di circostanza
Italian
editEtymology
editLiterally, “of circumstance”. Compare French de circonstance.
Adjective
edit- formally suitable for an occasion; suitable
- Synonyms: convenzionale, formale
- 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 27, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:
- Io avevo stampato in faccia un sorriso di circostanza mentre la mia mente stava sulla corda...
- I kept my face fixed in an accommodating smile, as I quietly balanced on a mental high wire...
- (literally, “I had a suitable smile stamped on my face while my mind was on the high wire...”)
Usage notes
edit- Sometimes implies insincerity, staleness, or lack of passion.