How to Use circumstantial in a Sentence

circumstantial

adjective
  • The case against him is circumstantial.
  • The evidence is purely circumstantial.
  • And none of us can predict all the circumstantial changes that lie ahead.
    Philip Chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6 Oct. 2017
  • But that doesn't mean all of the party's woes are circumstantial.
    Damon Linker, The Week, 1 Apr. 2022
  • The power of Salvador Ramos’ weapon was not a circumstantial aspect of the attack, but a central one.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2022
  • And like the La Mesa Street case, little but circumstantial evidence points to Strong.
    Megan Cassidy, azcentral, 23 Apr. 2017
  • In 2020, Chemirmir pleaded not guilty to all charges and his lawyers said that the cases against him are largely circumstantial.
    Amethyst Tate, Peoplemag, 3 Oct. 2022
  • Matthew Troiano: There is circumstantial evidence … the truck … the lies … Those are all kind of circumstantial pieces that tie back to him.
    Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2023
  • And circumstantial context does not even make the album a painful listen.
    Natalie Maher, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2021
  • With your feet on this foundation, tend to the circumstantial things, starting with the bridal shower you've been assigned.
    Carolyn Hax, oregonlive.com, 22 June 2019
  • With your feet on this foundation, tend to the circumstantial things, starting with the bridal shower you’ve been assigned.
    Carolyn Hax, The Mercury News, 23 June 2019
  • Though her body hasn’t been found, in a March 9th hearing a judge ruled there was enough circumstantial evidence to hold him for trial.
    Kevin Poulsen, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2007
  • The sample size of up-tempo plays was too small, and their success was partly circumstantial.
    Rich Campbell, chicagotribune.com, 26 Nov. 2019
  • Hand was down after pitching in three straight – was circumstantial, Green said.
    Jeff Sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, 30 July 2017
  • The evidence was circumstantial and could have happened after the fact.
    Gregory Barber, Wired, 17 June 2021
  • What ended up intriguing me most about both shows was circumstantial — the variables that came with where they were performed.
    Maya Phillips, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2020
  • The evidence is circumstantial, but the virus has been linked to the same problem in humans and the connection is worth exploring, experts said.
    New York Times, 15 Nov. 2021
  • The evidence is circumstantial, and no proof affirms Watkins’ role.
    Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2021
  • There are circumstantial reasons for the teacher to be concerned about Luce despite his good grades (most notably that a bag of fireworks was found in his gym locker).
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2019
  • His attorney, Phillip Hayes, said that a lot of the evidence against Chemirmir is circumstantial.
    Dallas News, 9 Dec. 2020
  • The wonder on his face, the circumstantial auspiciousness of that imagery — its fruity vividness — showed me to myself.
    New York Times, 8 Feb. 2022
  • In fact, there was not one piece of evidence, circumstantial or physical, linking McIntyre to the crime.
    Michael Harriot, The Root, 6 June 2018
  • No one knew it at the time, but that van would contain some important circumstantial evidence.
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 27 May 2017
  • While admitting that the case is circumstantial and some reasonable doubt remains, Pankoke et al.
    Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2022
  • This is hanging in the balance because all of this evidence, this isn't just circumstantial anymore.
    Fox News, 14 Sep. 2018
  • The case is described to us as a true whodunit, one that relies purely on circumstantial and DNA evidence because there weren’t any witnesses to the killing.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2021
  • Both circumstantial and physical evidence led to his arrest after her body was found in the trunk of her car outside a vacant home last week.
    CBS News, 17 July 2019
  • And if nothing else, the newest example builds the circumstantial case that something was afoot as Trump was trying to win the presidency.
    Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2018
  • The show’s lightning-quick progression is, in its way, nightmarish and Kafkaesque—although the evidence against Rusty is circumstantial at best, he’s arrested, charged, and put on trial.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 26 July 2024
  • Part of this stance might owe to circumstantial factors, such as a politician's military background or large military constituency.
    Bret Stephens, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2013

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circumstantial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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