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Circumstantial evidence   /sˌərkəmstˈæntʃəl ˈɛvədəns/   Listen
noun
Evidence  n.  
1.
That which makes evident or manifest; that which furnishes, or tends to furnish, proof; any mode of proof; the ground of belief or judgement; as, the evidence of our senses; evidence of the truth or falsehood of a statement. "Faith is... the evidence of things not seen." "O glorious trial of exceeding love Illustrious evidence, example high."
2.
One who bears witness. (R.) "Infamous and perjured evidences."
3.
(Law) That which is legally submitted to competent tribunal, as a means of ascertaining the truth of any alleged matter of fact under investigation before it; means of making proof; the latter, strictly speaking, not being synonymous with evidence, but rather the effect of it.
Circumstantial evidence, Conclusive evidence, etc. See under Circumstantial, Conclusive, etc.
Crown's evidence, King's evidence, or Queen's evidence, evidence for the crown, in English courts; equivalent to state's evidence in American courts. (Eng.)
State's evidence, evidence for the government or the people. (U. S.)
To turn King's evidence To turn Queen's evidence, or To turn State's evidence, to confess a crime and give evidence against one's accomplices.
Synonyms: Testimony; proof. See Testimony.


adjective
circumstantial  adj.  
1.
Consisting in, or pertaining to, circumstances or particular incidents. "The usual character of human testimony is substantial truth under circumstantial variety."
2.
Incidental; relating to, but not essential. "We must therefore distinguish between the essentials in religious worship... and what is merely circumstantial."
3.
Abounding with circumstances; detailing or exhibiting all the circumstances; minute; particular. "Tedious and circumstantial recitals."
Circumstantial evidence (Law), evidence obtained from circumstances, which necessarily or usually attend facts of a particular nature, from which arises presumption. According to some authorities circumstantial is distinguished from positive evidence in that the latter is the testimony of eyewitnesses to a fact or the admission of a party; but the prevalent opinion now is that all such testimony is dependent on circumstances for its support. All testimony is more or less circumstantial..
Synonyms: See Minute.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Circumstantial evidence" Quotes from Famous Books



... moved, not only by the admiration and sympathy which all men must feel for a beautiful woman caught in such a deadly snare of circumstantial evidence, but by the conviction that Durbin, whose present sleek complacency was more offensive to me than the sneering superiority of a week ago, believed her to be a guilty woman, and as such his rightful prey. This alone would have influenced me to take the opposite ...
— The Filigree Ball • Anna Katharine Green
... afraid we're all that sort, dear. Even you. [She touches the white hair about his temples playfully.] Circumstantial evidence. I'll have to dye it when you're asleep some time—and ...
— The First Man • Eugene O'Neill
... he said. He said that you had been convicted on circumstantial evidence; that was why you had got life imprisonment instead of hanging; that you had always stoutly maintained your innocence; that you were the black sheep of the Maryland Dettmars; that they moved heaven ...
— The Night-Born • Jack London
... circumstantial evidence, he reflected that those impassioned letters did not correspond in any way to this woman in the flesh. Never was woman more controlled, more adept in the lies of good breeding. He remembered the Chantelouve at-homes. She seemed attentive, made no contribution to the ...
— La-bas • J. K. Huysmans
... assertion about Shakespeare and unlimited eulogy of him has passed away for ever: the object of this inquiry is to show him as he lived and loved and suffered, and the proofs of this and of that trait shall be so heaped up as to stifle doubt and reach absolute conviction. For not only is the circumstantial evidence overwhelming and conclusive, but we have also the testimony of eye-witnesses with which to confirm it, and one of these witnesses, Ben Jonson, is of rare credibility ...
— The Man Shakespeare • Frank Harris


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