EVIDENCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does evidence mean? 

• EVIDENCE (noun)
  The noun EVIDENCE has 3 senses:

1. your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

2. an indication that makes something evident

3. (law) all the means by which any alleged matter of fact whose truth is investigated at judicial trial is established or disproved

  Familiarity information: EVIDENCE used as a noun is uncommon.

• EVIDENCE (verb)
  The verb EVIDENCE has 3 senses:

1. provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

2. provide evidence for

3. give evidence

  Familiarity information: EVIDENCE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EVIDENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

evidence; grounds

Context example:

the evidence that smoking causes lung cancer is very compelling

Hypernyms ("evidence" is a kind of...):

information (knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "evidence"):

cogent evidence; proof (any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something)

disproof; falsification; refutation (any evidence that helps to establish the falsity of something)

lead; track; trail (evidence pointing to a possible solution)

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

sign ((medicine) any objective evidence of the presence of a disorder or disease)

probable cause ((law) evidence sufficient to warrant an arrest or search and seizure)

Derivation:

evidence (provide evidence for)

evident (clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment)

evidential; evidentiary (serving as or based on evidence)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An indication that makes something evident

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

his trembling was evidence of his fear

Hypernyms ("evidence" is a kind of...):

indicant; indication (something that serves to indicate or suggest)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "evidence"):

record (anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events)

identification (evidence of identity; something that identifies a person or thing)

attestation (the evidence by which something is attested)

argument; statement (a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true)

testimonial; testimony (something that serves as evidence)

footprint evidence (evidence in the form of footprints)

clew; clue; cue (evidence that helps to solve a problem)

smoking gun (indisputable evidence (especially of a crime))

Derivation:

evidence (provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes)

evidence (provide evidence for)

evident (capable of being seen or noticed)

evidentiary (pertaining to or constituting evidence)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(law) all the means by which any alleged matter of fact whose truth is investigated at judicial trial is established or disproved

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("evidence" is a kind of...):

info; information (a message received and understood)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "evidence"):

testimony (a solemn statement made under oath)

state's evidence (evidence for the prosecution in criminal proceedings)

hearsay evidence (evidence based on what someone has told the witness and not of direct knowledge)

corroborating evidence (additional evidence or evidence of different kind that supports a proof already offered in a proceeding)

circumstantial evidence; indirect evidence (evidence providing only a basis for inference about the fact in dispute)

direct evidence (evidence (usually the testimony of a witness) directly related to the fact in dispute)

corpus delicti (the body of evidence that constitute the offence; the objective proof that a crime has been committed (sometimes mistakenly thought to refer to the body of a homicide victim))

exhibit (an object or statement produced before a court of law and referred to while giving evidence)

Derivation:

evidence (give evidence)

evidence (provide evidence for)

• EVIDENCE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they evidence    ... he / she / it evidences   
Past simple: evidenced   
Past participle: evidenced   
-ing form: evidencing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

attest; certify; demonstrate; evidence; manifest

Context example:

This decision demonstrates his sense of fairness

Hypernyms (to "evidence" is one way to...):

bear witness; evidence; prove; show; testify (provide evidence for)

Verb group:

attest (establish or verify the usage of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "evidence"):

authenticate (establish the authenticity of something)

reflect (give evidence of the quality of)

reflect (give evidence of a certain behavior)

notarise; notarize (authenticate as a notary)

condemn (demonstrate the guilt of (someone))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

evidence (an indication that makes something evident)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Provide evidence for

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bear witness; evidence; prove; show; testify

Context example:

Her behavior testified to her incompetence

Hypernyms (to "evidence" is one way to...):

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "evidence"):

attest; certify; demonstrate; evidence; manifest (provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes)

presume (constitute reasonable evidence for)

abduce; adduce; cite (advance evidence for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

evidence (your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief)

evidence (an indication that makes something evident)

evidence ((law) all the means by which any alleged matter of fact whose truth is investigated at judicial trial is established or disproved)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Give evidence

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

evidence; tell

Context example:

he was telling on all his former colleague

Hypernyms (to "evidence" is one way to...):

inform (act as an informer)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

evidence ((law) all the means by which any alleged matter of fact whose truth is investigated at judicial trial is established or disproved)

 Context examples 

They also found evidence of gingipains, toxic enzymes produced by the bacteria, in brain samples of people with Alzheimer's.

(New Link Found between Alzheimer's & Gum Disease Bacteria, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

However, clinical evidence is lacking for the effectiveness of aspirin therapy in preventing HBV‐related liver cancer.

(An Aspirin A Day Keep Liver Cancer Away, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

But newly published studies from Dawn scientists show two distinct lines of evidence for ice at or near the surface of the dwarf planet.

(Where is the Ice on Ceres?, NASA)

The results provided evidence of multiple mechanisms by which the antibodies inhibit actions of all forms of GP, thus preventing infection by halting viral entry into the host cell.

(Broadly acting antibodies found in plasma of Ebola survivors, National Institutes of Health)

“Of course we're on the alert as our neighbor state has just seen an outbreak, but there is no evidence of yellow fever in our state,” he said.

(Aedes mosquitoes almost impossible to eradicate, says Brazilian researcher, Agência Brasil)

"Astronomers have carried out other observational tests of dark matter theories before, but ours provides the strongest evidence yet for the presence of small clumps of cold dark matter.

(Cosmic Magnifying Glasses Find Dark Matter in Small Clumps, NASA)

This discovery provides strong evidence that the triclosan found in personal care products that we use daily is accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance.

(Toothpaste and Hand Wash Are Causing Antibiotic Resistance, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Conclusions about eggs based on available scientific evidence vary widely — in part because nutrition research is notoriously hard to conduct accurately.

(Eggs No Longer Part of a Healthy Diet?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Though long hypothesized, the first evidence for a debris disk around any star was uncovered in 1983 with NASA's Infrared Astronomical Satellite.

(Hubble Finds Huge System of Dusty Material Enveloping the Young Star HR 4796A, NASA)

It's the latest of a swathe of evidence suggesting the gut microbiome could play a powerful role in weight regulation.

(Supplements of 'Good Bacteria' Can Enhance Weight Loss in Dieters, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)