forensic

1 of 2

adjective

fo·​ren·​sic fə-ˈren(t)-sik  -ˈren-zik 

1

: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of judicature or to public discussion and debate

a lawyer's forensic skills

2

: argumentative, rhetorical

forensic eloquence

3

: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems

forensic medicine

forensic science

forensic pathologist

forensic experts

forensically

fə-ˈren(t)-si-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈren-zi-

adverb

forensic

2 of 2

noun

1

: an argumentative exercise

2

forensics fə-ˈren(t)-siks 

-ˈren-ziks

plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the art or study of argumentative discourse

3

forensics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems

especially : scientific analysis of physical evidence (as from a crime scene)

Did you know?

The noun forensic, meaning “an argumentative exercise” derives from the adjective forensic, whose earliest meaning in English is “belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts or to public discussion and debate.” The English word was derived from a Latin word forensic meaning “of the market place or forum, public,” which in turn comes from the Latin word forum, meaning “market place, forum.”

Examples of forensic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

An audit is required annually by every city; however, an in-depth forensic audit should be performed to account for all dollars spent in order to provide complete transparency to our citizens. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025

Quasi-forensic in its precision, the work is based on thousands of satellite images—an expression of anxiety about Black history’s precarity. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025

Noun

French authorities swarmed the museum in the 24 hours following, with photographs from outside the famed museum showing forensics investigators searching the scene for clues. —Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025

The police had failed to send his bloodied clothing to forensics for analysis or even to check the pockets of his shirt. —Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin forensis public, forensic, from forum forum

First Known Use

Adjective

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing forensic

• forensic odontology

Kids Definition

forensic

adjective

fo·​ren·​sic

fə-ˈren(t)-sik,

-ˈren-zik

: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of law or to public discussion and debate

forensically

-si-k(ə-)lē

-zi-

adverb

Etymology

Adjective

from Latin forensis "of a forum, public," from forum "market, place of public discussion, court"

Medical Definition

forensic

adjective

fo·​ren·​sic fə-ˈren(t)-sik  -ˈren-zik 

: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems especially in regard to criminal evidence

a forensic pathologist

forensic experts

… a forensic technique of DNA analysis allows for the determination of whether a subject with a specific genetic profile has contributed to aggregate genomic data.

—Kathy L. Hudson, The New England Journal of Medicine

Legal Definition

forensic

adjective

fo·​ren·​sic fə-ˈren-sik, -zik 

1

: belonging to, used in, or suitable to the courts or to public discussion and debate

2

: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge (as of medicine or linguistics) to legal problems

forensic pathology

forensic experts

forensically adverb

Etymology

Adjective

Latin forensis public, forensic, from forum forum