circumstantial evidence

noun

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Definition of circumstantial evidence

: evidence that tends to prove a fact by proving other events or circumstances which afford a basis for a reasonable inference of the occurrence of the fact at issue

Recent Examples of circumstantial evidence from the Web

Media: Scott Kingsley, Houston Chronicle Defense lawyers for Irsan have said both murder cases are based on circumstantial evidence, and argued he was not involved in either killing.

— brian rogers, Houston Chronicle, "911 call played to jury in Houston ‘honor killings’ death penalty trial," 7 July 2018
Tim Cain Photo: Investigation Discovery The jury at Cain’s 1997 trial took just 2 1/2 hours to convict in this case based mainly on circumstantial evidence.

— dorothy rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘Reasonable Doubt’ Review: Lives on the Line," 14 June 2018
Lindberg argued that the glove DNA, circumstantial evidence and the testimony of the friends from the Ha’ Penny Inn all pointed to Littleton.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man found guilty in 1986 cold-case Lemon Grove murder," 3 July 2018
Skakel was convicted in 2002 of killing Martha Moxley in 1975 based mostly on circumstantial evidence and a statement Skakel gave to a private investigator that put him in the area where Moxley’s body was found.

— courant staff report, courant.com, "State Can Proceed In Appealing Skakel Decision To U.S. Supreme Court," 12 June 2018
Roxanne Amick’s death in 2006 went unsolved for almost a decade until new DNA matching techniques bolstered circumstantial evidence tying her husband, Michael Amick, to the killing.

— ian duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Ex-Baltimore County man tied to wife's decade-old murder by DNA evidence is sentenced to 30 years," 22 June 2018
Scientists used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his family as well as anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Missing for 67 years, homecoming Saturday for Gary soldier," 21 June 2018
That trial took a series of unexpected twists and turns, built upon circumstantial evidence and revelations about Peterson's private life.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'The Staircase' may be your next true-crime obsession," 7 June 2018
Bad intent needs to be pieced together from circumstantial evidence.

— aziz huq, Fortune, "What the Supreme Court’s Masterpiece Cakeshop Ruling Could Mean for Trump’s Travel Ban," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'circumstantial evidence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.