circumstantial
sur-kuhm-STAN-shuhl
/ˌsɜːkəmˈstænʃl/
Pointing indirectly toward someone's guilt but not conclusively proving it.
Often misunderstood; a large amount of circumstantial evidence can be just as strong as direct evidence.
The story behind the word. Circumstantial evidence consists of the facts that 'stand around' the main event. They don't show the crime itself, but they surround it so closely that the truth becomes clear.
Word relationships
- indirect: Indirect is a general term; circumstantial is the specific legal term for indirect evidence.
- direct: Direct evidence (like a witness or video) proves a fact without needing an inference.
Word family
- circumstance (noun): A fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.
Collocations
- circumstantial evidence
- purely circumstantial
- circumstantial case
Example sentences
- "Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact." Legal definition of evidence types. (Black's Law Dictionary)
- "Without a murder weapon or a witness, the prosecution's case was entirely circumstantial." Describing a weak case.
Memory hook
CIRCUM-STANCE: Facts that 'stand' in a 'circle' around the truth. Standing around the truth.
When not to use
Do not use to mean 'unimportant'; it simply describes the type of evidence (indirect).
Fun facts
- Fingerprints are actually circumstantial evidence; they don't show the crime being committed, they only prove the person was there at some point.
Related words
Explore more words
infer, implicate, incriminate, suspect, evidence, allegation
Also appears in
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