circumstantial evidence
33
6.7
- noun
- /ˌsɜrkəmˈstænʃəl ˈɛvɪdəns/
- Specialized
:
prueba circunstancial
- While there were no witnesses, the detective gathered enough circumstantial evidence to build a strong case.
- based on circumstantial evidence
- circumstantial evidence points to
- circumstantial evidence suggests
It's circumstantial evidence, but it's probably true.
- It's circumstantial evidence, but it's probably true.
- And her legal team must have been shit because it was all circumstantial evidence.
- And there was a lot of circumstantial evidence around it to suggest that all was not what it seemed.
- Well, there is circumstantial evidence against him then we knew that he was the person with the with the motive.
- And if you look at like, we'll go back to sharp objects, most of that is solved through circumstantial evidence.
Examples
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The case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, such as fingerprints found at the scene.
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The jury found the defendant guilty based on circumstantial evidence presented during the trial.
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And there was a lot of circumstantial evidence around it to suggest that all was not what it seemed.
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Instead, you have nothing more than circumstantial evidence.
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On the other hand, circumstantial evidence presented throughout the book suggests otherwise.
Academic text (2003) -
We have recovered circumstantial evidence of possible connection to an incident...
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But it's all just additional circumstantial evidence that leads to the fingers pointing at Scott.
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And when you look at all this circumstantial evidence as a whole, it proves that these defendants committed this murder.
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Well, there's a lot of circumstantial evidence that points in that direction.
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Well, people can be convicted and sentenced in our courts on circumstantial evidence.
Synonyms
1
5.8
A clue that does not prove a fact directly but makes it seem likely
Antonyms
- Specialized
18
3.2
Proof that clearly shows a fact is true, such as an eyewitness report
How Direct
65
4.8
- Specialized
18
3.2
- Specialized
33
6.7
38
7.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward combination of 'circumstantial' (dependent on particular situations) and 'evidence' (information that helps prove something), so its meaning — evidence based on surrounding circumstances rather than direct proof — is directly inferable from the parts. This adjective+noun composition is common cross-linguistically and follows ordinary semantic compounding, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand it.
Etymology
Circumstantial evidence comes from the idea of using the things around an event to show what happened. Detectives look at the circumstantial details, like muddy footprints or a broken window, as evidence that points to the truth, so it means 'indirect proof' or 'proof from the situation'.