criminalistics: Meaning and Definition of

crim•i•nal•is•tics

Pronunciation: (krim"u-nl-is'tiks), [key]
— n. (used with a sing. v.)
  1. the scientific study and evaluation of physical evidence in the commission of crimes.
  2. the science dealing with the detection of crime and the apprehension of criminals.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.