Relating to or characteristic of criminalists or the scientific study and investigation of crime.
From criminalist + -ic (suffix for 'relating to'). Emerged in early 20th century as forensic science became increasingly recognized as a discipline.
When you watch crime scene shows, you're seeing criminalistic work—collecting DNA, analyzing fibers, photographing evidence—it's the application of hard science to solving mysteries.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.