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Synonyms

circumstantial

American  
[sur-kuhm-stan-shuhl] / ˌsɜr kəmˈstæn ʃəl /

adjective

  1. relating to or derived from circumstances.

    a circumstantial result;

    circumstantial evidence.

  2. of the nature of a circumstance or minor detail; nonessential; secondary.

    of circumstantial importance.

  3. dealing with or giving circumstances; detailed; particular.

    a circumstantial report of a business conference.
    Synonyms:
    precise, exact, thorough, minute

  4. pertaining to conditions of material welfare.

circumstantial British  
/ ˌsɜːkəmˈstænʃəl /

adjective

  1. of or dependent on circumstances

  2. fully detailed

  3. incidental

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • circumstantiality noun
  • circumstantially adverb
  • noncircumstantial adjective
  • noncircumstantially adverb
  • uncircumstantial adjective
  • uncircumstantially adverb

Etymology

Origin of circumstantial

1590–1600; < Latin circumstanti ( a ) circumstance + -al 1

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.