circumstantial

Definition

Pertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential.

Etymology

From Latin circumstantia + English -al, equivalent to circumstance + -ial.

Example Sentences

• "We must therefore distinguish between the essentials in religious worship […] and what is merely circumstantial."
• "Evidence for cannibalism abounds - even if circumstantial - both from the modern world and throughout history, but academic anthropology has found itself in a funk of denial."
• "It is unlikely he will be convicted; the evidence against him is circumstantial at best."