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Fictitious vs Circumstantial - What's the difference?

fictitious | circumstantial |

As adjectives the difference between fictitious and circumstantial

is that fictitious is not real; invented; contrived while circumstantial is pertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential.

As a noun circumstantial is

(chiefly|in the plural) something incidental to the main subject, but of less importance.

fictitious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Not real; invented; contrived.
    • St. Mary Mead is a fictitious village from the books of Agatha Christie.

    Synonyms

    * imaginary, invented, contrived, fictive

    circumstantial

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Pertaining to or dependent on circumstances, especially as opposed to essentials; incidental, not essential.
  • * Sharp
    • We must therefore distinguish between the essentials in religious worship and what is merely circumstantial .
  • Abounding with circumstances; detailing or exhibiting all the circumstances; minute; particular.
  • * 1806 , )
    • For although my information appears too direct and circumstantial to be fictitious, yet the magnitude of the enterprise, the desperation of the plan, and the stupendous consequences with which it seems pregnant, stagger my belief
  • * 2007 , John Burrow, A History of Histories , Penguin 2009, p. 326:
    • Second-hand but clearly from the best possible source - the King himself - [the story] is highly circumstantial , taking twenty-two pages of text.
  • Full of circumstance or pomp; ceremonial.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, in the plural) Something incidental to the main subject, but of less importance.
    • the circumstantials of religion

    Antonyms

    * essential