Forensic

WOTD - 3 September 2008    

English

Etymology

From Latin forēnsis (“of the forum, public”), from forum

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /fəˈrɛn.sɪk/, /fɒˈrɛn.sɪk/, /fəˈrɛn.zɪk/

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• Rhymes: -ɪk

Adjective

Forensic (not comparable)

1. Relating to the use of science and technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law.
   • 1996, 8 June, Bill Clinton, Weekly Presidential radio Address,

     Fire investigators […] and forensic chemists are combing through fire sites [the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing], interviewing witnesses, and following leads.

2. (dated) Relating to, or appropriate for courts of law.
   • 1885, Isaac N. Arnold, The Life of Abraham Lincoln, Chapter VIII,

     It [the judiciary] had been the forum before which the highest forensic discussions had been held, […]

3. (archaic) Relating to, or used in debate or argument.
   • 1851, Edward Shepherd Creasy, The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World, Chapter V,

     Varus trusted implicitly […] to the interest which they affected to take in the forensic eloquence of their conquerors.

Synonyms

• (Related or appropriate for a court of law): legal
• (Related or used in debate and argumentation): rhetorical

Derived terms

• forensic medicine
• forensic science
• forensically
• forensics

Related terms

• forensal
• forensive

Translations

relating to the use of science and technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law

Chinese: Mandarin: 法醫的 (cmn) (fǎyī de), 法医的 (cmn) (fǎyī de) Dutch: forensisch, gerechtelijk, gerechts- Finnish: rikostekninen (fi), oikeuslääketieteellinen (fi) French: médicolégal (fr), légal (fr) (in médecine légale) German: forensisch (de) Greek: δικανικός (el), εγκληματολογικός (el) Icelandic: réttar- (is)

Italian: medico-legale (it) Japanese: 法医学の (ja) (ほういがくの, hōigaku-no) Polish: kryminalistyczny (pl) m., sądowy (pl) m. Portuguese: forense (pt) Russian: судебно-медицинский (ru) (sudébno-medicínskij), судебный (ru) (sudébnyj) Spanish: forense (es) Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

relating to, or appropriate for courts of law

Armenian: դատական (hy) (datakan) Chinese: Mandarin: 法庭的 (cmn) (fǎtíng de) Dutch: gerechtelijk (nl) Finnish: oikeudellinen (fi) French: légal (fr), juridique (fr) German: gerichtlich (de), Gerichts- (de) Greek: δικανικός (el), εγκληματολογικός (el)

Italian: giudiziario (it) Japanese: 法廷の (ja) (ほうていの, hōtei-no) (adnominal) Polish: sądowy (pl) m. Portuguese: forense (pt) Russian: судебный (ru) (sudébnyj) Spanish: legal (es) Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

relating to, or used in debate or argument

Chinese: Mandarin: 辯論的 (cmn), 辩论的 (cmn) (biànlùn de) Dutch: retorisch (nl) Finnish: oikeudellinen (fi) French: de barreau (fr), rhétorique (fr) German: rhetorisch (de) Italian: legale (it)

Japanese: 討論の (ja) (とうろんの, tōron-no), 弁論の (ja) (べんろんの, benron-no) Polish: oratorski (pl) m. Portuguese: retórico (pt) Russian: риторический (ru) (ritoríčeskij) Spanish: please add this translation if you can Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

Anagrams

• conifers, forinsec, fornices