circumstantial
adj.describing something that is based on the situation or specific details rather than direct proof. In law, it refers to evidence that suggests something happened but does not prove it 100%.
adj.relating to or dependent on particular circumstances; providing indirect evidence that suggests a fact but does not prove it conclusively. Often used in legal contexts to describe evidence that requires an inference to connect it to a conclusion.
“The police only have circumstantial evidence against him.”
“Without a witness or a confession, the prosecution had to rely on a series of circumstantial details to build their case.”
“The historical account is largely circumstantial, reconstructed from tax records and shipping manifests rather than direct personal diaries or official state decrees from that specific era.”
Commonly modifies nouns like 'evidence', 'details', or 'factors'.
“Six years later, despite much mudslinging, each of these possibilities remains viable, supported by circumstantial, but not dispositive, evidence.”
“But he says Webb’s discoveries of structures predicted by the model offer “excellent circumstantial evidence.” The observations made so far suggest that the early universe was stranger and more complex than previously assumed.”
From Latin circumstantia + English -al, equivalent to circumstance + -ial.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.