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

It may be too much of a stretch to tie all these pieces of circumstantial evidence together to make a solid case for Rinderknecht’s prosecution, said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

"It was the DNA evidence, as our prosecution barrister highlighted, that glued all of that circumstantial evidence together to build such a strong case that led to his guilty plea," Gray said.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 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