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
A. M. S. Aly3
: 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
- blow-by-blow
- detailed
- elaborate
- full
- minute
- particular
- particularized
- thorough
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The evidence is purely circumstantial. The case against him is circumstantial. a circumstantial account of the meeting
Recent Examples on the Web The verdict, based on evidence that was wholly circumstantial, took almost five hours to be delivered. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 Yet many traditionalists have been slow to come around on electric vehicles, complaining that the driving experience is too clinical and performance is too circumstantial. Bradley Iger, Ars Technica, 17 Aug. 2022 But the evidence was too circumstantial and Whirty was never charged with Sarah Pryor’s murder. Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 The evidence against him is largely circumstantial, and his case raises issues that some experts voiced concern about when the legislation was enacted in 2018. Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 28 July 2022 But defense attorney Joseph Patton said in his opening statement the government's evidence was circumstantial. Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2022 His attorneys argued that the evidence against him was circumstantial. Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022 Until very recently, though, all the supporting evidence for foraging was circumstantial. Stephanie Pain, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2022 Prosecutors laid out a circumstantial case against the pair. Richard Wintonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 See More
Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022 Yet many traditionalists have been slow to come around on electric vehicles, complaining that the driving experience is too clinical and performance is too circumstantial. Bradley Iger, Ars Technica, 17 Aug. 2022 But the evidence was too circumstantial and Whirty was never charged with Sarah Pryor’s murder. Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Aug. 2022 The evidence against him is largely circumstantial, and his case raises issues that some experts voiced concern about when the legislation was enacted in 2018. Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 28 July 2022 But defense attorney Joseph Patton said in his opening statement the government's evidence was circumstantial. Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2022 His attorneys argued that the evidence against him was circumstantial. Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022 Until very recently, though, all the supporting evidence for foraging was circumstantial. Stephanie Pain, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2022 Prosecutors laid out a circumstantial case against the pair. Richard Wintonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
see circumstance
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing circumstantial
Legal Definition
circumstantial
adjective
cir·cum·stan·tial ˌsər-kəm-ˈstan-chəl
: belonging to, consisting in, or dependent on circumstances
circumstantial
adjective
as in detailed
including many small descriptive features the circumstantial account of his surgery told us more than we really wanted to know about the stomach Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- detailed
- thorough
- full
- particularized
- particular
- descriptive
- elaborate
- specific
- comprehensive
- accurate
- blow-by-blow
- minute
- precise
- abundant
- copious
- explicit
- vivid
- exhaustive
- entire
- distinct
- graphic
- itemized
- graphical
- complete
- specified
- exact
- thoroughgoing
- delineated
- enumerated
- panoramic
- correct
- exhausting
- inclusive
- listed
- in-depth
- inventoried
- replete
- encyclopedic
- picturesque
- numerated
- omnibus
- inclusionary
- sharp
- mapped (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- summary
- brief
- compendious
- short
- succinct
- concise
- pithy
- terse
- ambiguous
- vague
- compact
- nebulous
- crisp
- curtailed
- sketchy
- general
- indeterminate
- nonspecific
- abridged
- cut
- abbreviated
- broad
- nondescript
- unspecified
- trimmed
- overall
- shortened
- pruned
- bird's-eye
Synonym Chooser
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
The meanings of detailed and circumstantial largely overlap; however, detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail.
a detailed analysis of the event
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
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