circumstantial

adjective

cir·​cum·​stan·​tial ˌsər-kəm-ˈstan(t)-shəl 

1

: belonging to, consisting in, or dependent on circumstances

a circumstantial case

circumstantial factors

circumstantial evidence

2

: pertinent but not essential : incidental

Revolutions usually happen for both structural and circumstantial reasons.

—A. M. S. Aly

3

: marked by careful attention to detail : abounding in factual details

a circumstantial account of the fight

4

: ceremonial

the circumstantial splendor of the coronation

circumstantiality

ˌsər-kəm-ˌstan(t)-shē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

circumstantially

ˌsər-kəm-ˈstan(t)-sh(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of circumstantial

• detailed
• thorough
• full

Choose the Right Synonym for circumstantial

circumstantial, minute, particular, detailed mean dealing with a matter fully and usually point by point.

circumstantial implies fullness of detail that fixes something described in time and space.

a circumstantial account of our visit

minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details.

a minute examination of a fossil

particular implies a precise attention to every detail.

a particular description of the scene of the crime

detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail.

a detailed analysis of the event

Examples of circumstantial in a Sentence

The evidence is purely circumstantial.

The case against him is circumstantial.

a circumstantial account of the meeting

Recent Examples on the Web

Daaon Spears trial In closing arguments, defense attorney Brandon Taylor told jurors that the evidence against Spears was circumstantial and argued police were under pressure to make an arrest in the high-profile case. —Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026

My evidence was circumstantial at best—very dark hair, a certain visual intensity, and, admittedly, intuition doing most of the heavy lifting. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2026

Just happened to be circumstantial. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026

The impending trial The case against Jones is mainly circumstantial. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see circumstance

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing circumstantial

• circumstantial evidence

Rhymes for circumstantial

• insubstantial
• unsubstantial
• substantial

Kids Definition

circumstantial

adjective

cir·​cum·​stan·​tial ˌsər-kəm-ˈstan-chəl 

1

: consisting of, relating to, or depending on circumstances

circumstantial evidence

2

: containing full details

a circumstantial account of what happened

circumstantially

-ˈstanch-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

circumstantial

adjective

cir·​cum·​stan·​tial ˌsər-kəm-ˈstan-chəl 

: belonging to, consisting in, or dependent on circumstances

circumstantially adverb