circumstantial evidence

American  

noun

1. proof of facts offered as evidence from which other facts are to be inferred (contrasted with direct evidence).

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circumstantial evidence British  

noun

1. indirect evidence that tends to establish a conclusion by inference Compare direct evidence

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Etymology

Origin of circumstantial evidence

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

Like a criminal trial with no eyewitnesses, the prosecution of the “Queens of Combat” question relies on a cistern’s worth of circumstantial evidence, which may or may not add up to a case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Five witnesses gave indirect circumstantial evidence that supported Murley's claim he was not taken seriously.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

Bill Essayli presented a list of circumstantial evidence they said linked him to the fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2025

Her remains were found in January, but Tauscher said the medical examiner’s office had to make its conclusion based on circumstantial evidence because the condition of Hamilton’s remains complicated the identification.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2025

When Quintilian says that circumstantial evidence can take the place of a witness, later lawyers took him as authorizing it to be considered as half of a complete proof.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton