forensic

1 of 2

adjective

fo·​ren·​sic fə-ˈren(t)-sik How to pronounce forensic (audio) -ˈren-zik How to pronounce forensic (audio)
1
: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of judicature or to public discussion and debate
a lawyer's forensic skills
2
: argumentative, rhetorical
forensic eloquence
3
: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems
forensic medicine
forensic science
forensic pathologist
forensic experts
forensically adverb

forensic

2 of 2

noun

1
: an argumentative exercise
2
forensics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the art or study of argumentative discourse
3
forensics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems
especially : scientific analysis of physical evidence (as from a crime scene)

Did you know?

The noun forensic, meaning “an argumentative exercise” derives from the adjective forensic, whose earliest meaning in English is “belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts or to public discussion and debate.” The English word was derived from a Latin word forensic meaning “of the market place or form, public,” which in turn comes from the Latin word forum, meaning “market place, forum.”

Examples of forensic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As in his short fiction, Wild Houses showcases Barrett’s forensic eye and ear for human detail, his compassion, and his love of a ridiculous joke. Hazlitt, 20 Mar. 2024 The series, which originally aired on TLC from 1996-2011 with reruns on HLN, explains how forensic science can help solve crimes and mysterious accidents. Jack Dunn, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Wathen was joined by the former chief forensic psychologist for the state and former U.S. attorney. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 But Graves said the rate grew after the de-accreditation of the city’s troubled D.C. forensic lab, which required prosecutors to use federal agencies and private laboratories to make up the slack and process evidence involving drugs, firearms and DNA. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The suspect immediately fled the scene, but police used surveillance cameras and forensic evidence to identify him. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Advancements in forensic science technology and the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, which combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogy research, have allowed more breakthroughs with DNA evidence collection. Amanda Jackson, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Specialized Financial Services: Engaging in niche areas such as forensic accounting, environmental accounting, international taxation, and information technology consulting, catering to the specific needs of a varied client base. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 In the weeks after the attack, Israeli authorities reportedly chose to prioritize identifying victims over forensic investigation of the bodies. Becky Sullivan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
The practice began with hobbyists interested in learning about their family histories but in recent years has expanded into the world of forensics to try to solve cold cases and other violent crimes. Eric Levenson, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 In a report commissioned by prosecutors last year, a forensics expert found that the gun that killed Hutchins had not been modified and that Baldwin would have had to have pulled the trigger. Chloe Melas, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024 Before my departure, our SST team, which was composed of chemists, engineers, physicists, woodworkers, linguists, artists, and forensics experts, continued to plan and rehearse deception schemes on the streets of Washington, DC. Dawn Klavon, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Robert Zeidman, a computer forensics expert who voted for Trump twice, did just that, a federal judge in Minnesota determined Wednesday, upholding a previous ruling from a private arbitration panel. Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 To get China to resume regular talks on fentanyl, Washington agreed in November to Beijing’s demand that U.S. sanctions be lifted on a forensics institute run by China’s Ministry of Public Security. Olivia Wang, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Hany Farid, a digital forensics specialist at the UC Berkeley School of Information, was initially skeptical of claims that the Biden robocall came from ElevenLabs. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024 Other evidence could convict a defendant, even if forensics are absent or dismissed. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 10 Jan. 2024 Chainalysis The blockchain forensics firm uses on-chain data to trace crypto transactions, identifying scams, hacks, fraud and illicit activity involving digital assets. Javier Paz, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin forensis public, forensic, from forum forum

First Known Use

Adjective

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of forensic was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near forensic

Cite this Entry

“Forensic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forensic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

forensic

adjective
fo·​ren·​sic
fə-ˈren(t)-sik,
-ˈren-zik
: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of law or to public discussion and debate
forensically
-si-k(ə-)lē
-zi-
adverb
Etymology

Adjective

from Latin forensis "of a forum, public," from forum "market, place of public discussion, court"

Medical Definition

forensic

adjective
fo·​ren·​sic fə-ˈren(t)-sik How to pronounce forensic (audio) -ˈren-zik How to pronounce forensic (audio)
: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems especially in regard to criminal evidence
a forensic pathologist
forensic experts
… a forensic technique of DNA analysis allows for the determination of whether a subject with a specific genetic profile has contributed to aggregate genomic data.Kathy L. Hudson, The New England Journal of Medicine

Legal Definition

forensic

adjective
fo·​ren·​sic fə-ˈren-sik, -zik How to pronounce forensic (audio)
1
: belonging to, used in, or suitable to the courts or to public discussion and debate
2
: relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge (as of medicine or linguistics) to legal problems
forensic pathology
forensic experts
forensically adverb
Etymology

Adjective

Latin forensis public, forensic, from forum forum

More from Merriam-Webster on forensic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!