circumstantial evidence

noun

: 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

Examples of circumstantial evidence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Denver Post Clark was always a suspect in the 1994, killing but investigators only had circumstantial evidence at the time. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025 The setup of a disappearance, circumstantial evidence, love beyond death, and religious connections (such as a stunning scene in a confessional) has Hitchcockian overtones. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025 In addition to Weaver’s testimony, the plaintiffs presented circumstantial evidence that Umpqua must have known PFI was using investor money improperly. Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025 Ecker claimed the circumstantial evidence supported a reasonable hypothesis that Pennig died by suicide. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circumstantial evidence

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of circumstantial evidence was in 1736

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Cite this Entry

“Circumstantial evidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumstantial%20evidence. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

Legal Definition

circumstantial evidence

see evidence

More from Merriam-Webster on circumstantial evidence

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