'Circumstantial' definitions:
Definition of 'circumstantial'
(from WordNet)
adjective
Fully detailed and specific about particulars; "a circumstantial report about the debate"
Definition of 'Circumstantial'
From: GCIDE
- Circumstantial \Cir`cum*stan"tial\, n. Something incidental to the main subject, but of less importance; opposed to an essential; -- generally in the plural; as, the circumstantials of religion. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'circumstantial'
From: GCIDE
- circumstantial \cir`cum*stan"tial\ (s[~e]r`k[u^]m*st[a^]n"shal), a. [Cf. F. circonstanciel.] [1913 Webster]
- 1. Consisting in, or pertaining to, circumstances or particular incidents. [1913 Webster]
- The usual character of human testimony is substantial truth under circumstantial variety. --Paley. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Incidental; relating to, but not essential. [1913 Webster]
- We must therefore distinguish between the essentials in religious worship . . . and what is merely circumstantial. --Sharp. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Abounding with circumstances; detailing or exhibiting all the circumstances; minute; particular. [1913 Webster]
- Tedious and circumstantial recitals. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
- 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. --Wharton.
- Syn: See Minute. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'circumstantial'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- absolute,
- accessory,
- accidental,
- accompanying,
- accurate,
- additional,
- adducible,
- admissible,
- ado,
- adscititious,
- adventitious,
- afloat,
- afoot,
- aleatory,
- appurtenant,
- ascititious,
- attestative,
- attestive,
- authentic,
- auxiliary,
- based on,
- blow-by-blow,
- casual,
- certain,
- chance,
- close,
- collateral,
- complete,
- conclusive,
- conditional,
- contingent,
- convincing,
- cumulative,
- current,
- damning,
- decisive,
- deduced,
- detailed,
- determinative,
- documentary,
- documented,
- doing,
- eventuating,
- evidential,
- evidentiary,
- ex parte,
- exact,
- explicit,
- extra,
- extraneous,
- eye-witness,
- factual,
- final,
- firsthand,
- fortuitous,
- founded on,
- full,
- going on,
- grounded on,
- happening,
- hearsay,
- implicative,
- implicit,
- implied,
- in hand,
- in the wind,
- incidental,
- incontrovertible,
- indicative,
- indirect,
- indisputable,
- inessential,
- inferential,
- inferred,
- interpretive,
- irrefutable,
- irresistible,
- itemized,
- material,
- minute,
- nice,
- nonessential,
- nuncupative,
- occasional,
- occurring,
- on,
- on foot,
- ongoing,
- overwhelming,
- particular,
- particularized,
- passing,
- precise,
- presumable,
- presumed,
- presumptive,
- prevailing,
- prevalent,
- probative,
- provisional,
- reliable,
- replete,
- resultant,
- secondary,
- significant,
- specific,
- strict,
- subsidiary,
- suggestive,
- superadded,
- superfluous,
- supervenient,
- supplemental,
- supplementary,
- sure,
- symptomatic,
- taking place,
- telling,
- thorough,
- under way,
- unessential,
- unimportant,
- valid,
- weighty