fo·ren·sic
fə-ˈren(t)-sik
-ˈren-zik
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
1
: an argumentative exercise
2
forensics
fə-ˈren(t)-siks
-ˈren-ziks
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 forum, public,” which in turn comes from the Latin word forum, meaning “market place, forum.”
Cite this Entry
“Forensic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forensic. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.
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