Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective circumstantial differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of circumstantial are detailed, minute, and particular. While all these words 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

When could detailed be used to replace circumstantial?

The meanings of detailed and circumstantial largely overlap; however, detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail.

a detailed analysis of the event

When is minute a more appropriate choice than circumstantial?

In some situations, the words minute and circumstantial are roughly equivalent. However, minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details.

a minute examination of a fossil

When can particular be used instead of circumstantial?

The synonyms particular and circumstantial are sometimes interchangeable, but particular implies a precise attention to every detail.

a particular description of the scene of the crime

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circumstantial Despite Veiel's best efforts, any criminal evidence against Leni Riefenstahl remains tantalizingly circumstantial, even if the circumstances themselves were indisputably criminal. Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025 However, despite the appeal of this coevolution hypothesis, the evidence remains largely circumstantial. Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025 And a lot of that stuff is circumstantial, is based on circumstances. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025 Gudsen weaves stories, reframes evidence, accuses Michelle of bias, and dismisses the glove bearing his DNA as circumstantial. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circumstantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumstantial
Adjective
  • Its preservation allows for a more detailed reconstruction of ceremonial life than is usually possible with megalithic monuments.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
  • There, twice a month, the Michigan Rocky Horror Preservation Society holds court, its members arrayed in corsets, feather boas, ripped jeans and lovingly detailed costumes that evoke their favorite movie's main characters.
    Neda Ulaby, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Carylanne Brown, the senior Grove guide at Grove Collaborative, also likes the idea of selecting one day per week to tackle a more thorough clean.
    Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025
  • An objective and thorough review will show nothing inappropriate was stored or kept by Amb.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The correspondence, delivered through an Emirati intermediary, offered full cooperation if Iran agreed to suspend its nuclear program.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Gwyneth Paltrow, for one, made her version of luxury a little louder in a full monogrammed look, while Alex Consani ensconced herself in fuzzy leopard print.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Circumstantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumstantial. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on circumstantial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!