Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use circumstantial in a sentence

14 example sentences · adjective, noun

Circumstantial means pertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential. Example: “It is unlikely he will be convicted; the evidence against him is circumstantial at best.”

Examples of circumstantial by meaning

adjectivePertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential.

  • Evidence for cannibalism abounds - even if circumstantial - both from the modern world and throughout history, but academic anthropology has found itself in a funk of denial.2000 September 7, Henry Gee, “Eating people - is it bad taste?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 May 2014

adjectiveInvolving evidence that relies on inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact, thus, suggesting guilt but not...

  • It is unlikely he will be convicted; the evidence against him is circumstantial at best.
  • Not only was it entirely circumstantial, but the greater part of it was practically unproved.1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 162

nounSomething incidental to the main subject, but of less importance.

  • the circumstantials of religion

More sentences with circumstantial

  • One of the results of perspectivalization is the circumstantial and contextual suspension of a literal ontological attitude.2016, Marc Lamparello, Reason and Counterpoint, Wipf & Stock Publishing - Eugene & Oregon, page 410. From the entry perspectivalization
  • There had been circumstantial evidence that Prenter targeted other victims online.2010, Allison Brennan, Love Me to Death, page 11. From the entry date rape
  • Proof of the role of AA excess in the development of PCOS is circumstantial at best.2007, Bulent O. Yildiz, Enrico Carmina, Ricardo Azziz, “Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Dysfunction in the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome”, in…. From the entry aa
  • Each of the two categories, nonasserted inference and circumstantial use, will be discussed in turn.1983, Michael H. Graham, Evidence: Text, Rules, Illustrations, and Problems, page 94. From the entry nonasserted
  • The conviction of appellant Ali Akber rests on the circumstantial evidence of Mst.1971, The All Pakistan Legal Decisions. From the entry pointation
  • As stage documents the scenari are circumstantial and businesslike, they make no pretensions towards literary style.1934, K[athleen] M[arguerite] Lea, “Introduction, Description of a Typical Performance”, in Italian Popular Comedy: A Study in the…. From the entry scenari
  • Circumstantial evidence suggests that heavy infestation by viruliferous aphids can overcome the highest degree of host plant resistance.1968, M. J. Crampton and L. E. Watts, "Genetic Studies of Pea Leaf-Roll (Top-Yellows) Virus Resistance in Pisum sativum," New Zealand…. From the entry viruliferous
  • "But, Jack, it's all so circumstantial—you said so yourself," Brammel brayed, never stronger than when demonstrating that two positives made a negative.1986, John le Carré [pseudonym; David John Moore Cornwell], A Perfect Spy, London: Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN; 1st Pocket Books trade…. From the entry bray
  • They might involve the unfolding of a dramatic elaboration or a lengthy tangential or circumstantial commentary, on the one hand; or they may be crisply overspecific, on the other.2013, James H. Kleiger, Disordered Thinking and the Rorschach: Theory, Research, and Differential Diagnosis, Routledge, →ISBN, page 182. From the entry overspecific
  • The existence of the cosmic web is central to current theories of how galaxies first formed following the big bang, but until now evidence for it had remained largely circumstantial.2019 October 3, Hannah Devlin, “Scientists observe mysterious cosmic web directly for first time”, in The Guardian, →ISSN. From the entry cosmic web

Meaning of circumstantial

  1. adjective Pertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential.
  2. adjective Involving evidence that relies on inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact, thus, suggesting guilt but not directly proving it.
  3. adjective Abounding with minor circumstances; in great detail; particular.

Full definition of circumstantial

Questions about circumstantial in a sentence

How do you use circumstantial in a sentence?
Circumstantial is used as an adjective and noun. For example: “It is unlikely he will be convicted; the evidence against him is circumstantial at best.”
What is a short sentence with circumstantial?
“the circumstantials of religion”
What does circumstantial mean?
Circumstantial means pertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: circumstantial (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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