forensic
Americanadjective
-
relating to, connected with, or used in courts of law, especially with reference to the scientific analysis of evidence.
The defense called a professional witness with credentials in forensic toxicology.
-
relating, adapted, or suited to argumentation or to public discussion and debate; rhetorical.
The Athenians were famous for their forensic eloquence in the public forum.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- forensicality noun
- forensically adverb
- nonforensic adjective
- nonforensically adverb
- unforensic adjective
- unforensically adverb
Etymology
Origin of forensic
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin forēns(is) “public,” literally, “of the forum” (from for(um) forum + -ēnsis -ensis ) + -ic ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Before long, the students were arriving to class early, staying late, and showing up to the forensic lab on their days off to continue their research.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
Before she became an educator at UT–Arlington, she spent decades as a forensic analyst working high-profile cases such as the Branch Davidian siege in Waco.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
Social media is rife with fabricated satellite imagery, heatmaps and other pseudo forensic visuals used to cast doubt on genuine evidence from the war, researchers say.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
But then love and marriage reared its head and Burden’s story took a dark turn, which she chronicles with a keen forensic eye in her buzzy new memoir, “Strangers.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
But this new century was the dawn of what was optimistically called forensic science.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.