Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or dependent on circumstances.
- adjective Of no primary significance; incidental.
- adjective Complete and particular; full of detail.
- adjective Full of ceremonial display.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Attending; incidental; casual; sustaining a minor or less important relation.
- Consisting in, pertaining to, or derived from circumstances or particular incidents: as, circumstantial evidence.
- Abounding with circumstances; exhibiting or stating all the circumstances; minute; particular; detailed: as, a circumstantial account or recital.
- noun Something incidental and of subordinate importance; an accident or incident; a circumstance: opposed to an essential.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Something incidental to the main subject, but of less importance; opposed to an
essential ; -- generally in the plural. - adjective Consisting in, or pertaining to, circumstances or particular incidents.
- adjective Incidental; relating to, but not essential.
- adjective Abounding with circumstances; detailing or exhibiting all the circumstances; minute; particular.
- adjective (Law) evidence obtained from circumstances, which necessarily or usually attend facts of a particular nature, from which arises presumption. According to some authorities
circumstantial is distinguished frompositive evidence in that the latter is the testimony of eyewitnesses to a fact or the admission of a party; but the prevalent opinion now is that all such testimony is dependent on circumstances for its support. All testimony is more or lesscircumstantial .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Pertaining to or dependent on
circumstances , especially as opposed toessentials ;incidental , not essential. - adjective Abounding with circumstances; detailing or exhibiting all the circumstances; minute; particular.
- adjective Full of
circumstance orpomp ;ceremonial . - noun Something
incidental to the mainsubject , but of less importance; opposed to an essential; -- generally in the plural; as, the circumstantials of religion.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective fully detailed and specific about particulars
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The word circumstantial was bounced around harder than a cricket ball.
Above Suspicion Lynda La Plante 2004
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The word circumstantial was bounced around harder than a cricket ball.
Above Suspicion Lynda La Plante 2004
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We have nothing but what they call circumstantial evidence.
Pendragon: Before the War: Book One of the Travelers D. J. MacHale 2009
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BANFIELD: Yes, that's what you call circumstantial evidence.
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We have nothing but what they call circumstantial evidence.
Pendragon: Before the War: Book One of the Travelers D. J. MacHale 2009
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That's what we call circumstantial evidence of cheating -- or, if we are "culturally sensitive," we call it "cooperating."
Archive 2006-10-01 2006
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That's what we call circumstantial evidence of cheating -- or, if we are "culturally sensitive," we call it "cooperating."
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"Theer wor what they call circumstantial evidence to show how all t 'affair happened!"
The Talleyrand Maxim 1899
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Norcaster Gaol in my time all through what they call circumstantial evidence.
Scarhaven Keep 1899
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He said he was not sure the jury would impose the death penalty in what he termed a circumstantial case.
unknown title 2009
slumry commented on the word circumstantial
conditions sourrounding an event
June 19, 2007