I. | ̷ ̷kəmz|tanchəl, -m|st-, -aan-, -ain- adjective
Etymology: Latin circumstantia circumstance + English -al
1. : belonging to, consisting in, influenced by, or dependent on circumstances
a historical novel … full of circumstantial life — Jean Garrigue
circumstantial developments not covered in the main plan
a purely circumstantial outcome to the play
2. : pertinent but not essential to : accompanying, incidental , adventitious
a hard life, stripped of every circumstantial grace — Isabel Paterson
the forces which thrust him down are circumstantial rather than inevitable — C.C.Walcutt
3. : marked strongly by attention to small incidents and details, especially attendant circumstances or conditions
his circumstantial accounts of his adventures — Richard Griffith
4. : marked by ceremony and pomp
the circumstantial splendor of the coronation
Synonyms:
minute , particular , particularized , detailed , itemized : circumstantial may suggest precise or detailed treatment (as that of an acute eyewitness) of circumstances and secondary incidents and items
I solemnly declare that I am at this time in the possession of my right mind — that my memory is exact and circumstantial — Charles Dickens
the story of the rattlesnake chasing the squirrel was too circumstantial to have been invented — Constance M. Rourke
minute suggests searching, close attention to even the smallest details
she was interested in the little details and writes with minute care about the change of fashion — Gamaliel Bradford
Plato, the foe of the mechanical, in the Laws … provides for the state a perfect jumble of minute regulations — John Buchan
particular implies a zealous care about and attention to details
I should have been more particular in my account of Miss Unwin if I had had materials for a minute description — William Cowper
particularized , that is, treated or presented with full particulars, has pretty much superseded particular in reference to accounts, descriptions, and so on
a most concrete, particularized, earthy series of small diurnal recognitions — J.C.Powys
detailed simply indicates treatment with a wealth of detail and lacks any special connotation
his [Ruskin's] detailed criticisms of architecture and painting — Bliss Perry
itemized , mostly commercial in use and suggestion, indicates a specific and separate listing or inclusion of each item, as each charge, cost, or deduction
an itemized bill from the hotel
an itemized list of stock losses accompanying the tax return
II. noun
( -s )
: an attendant circumstance : detail ; especially : something incidental to the main subject — usually used in plural
the main point of an argument and the circumstantials