evidence

evidence — noun

1. any facts, information, or objects that help you decide whether a claim or situa

1.nounB1
Definition

any facts, information, or objects that help you decide whether a claim or situation is real, accurate, or correct

Example

There is strong evidence that regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease.

collocation: strong evidence + that-clause

The detective found no evidence to support the suspect's story.

collocation: find evidence + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • strong evidence
  • clear evidence
  • hard evidence
  • conclusive evidence
  • evidence of
  • evidence that
  • evidence for
  • collect evidence
  • gather evidence
  • find evidence
  • provide evidence
Synonyms
  • proof

    stronger than evidence; suggests something has been shown beyond any doubt

  • indication

    weaker; points to a possibility rather than establishing a fact

  • testimony

    restricted to spoken or written statements, often in legal settings

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

evidence + that-clause

evidence + of + noun phrase

evidence + for + noun phrase

verb + evidence (collect, find, gather, present)

Usage Note

Uncountable — never say 'evidences' or 'an evidence.' Use 'a piece of evidence' or 'some evidence' if a singular countable expression is needed.

Common Mistakes

The police found many evidences at the scene.
The police found a lot of evidence at the scene.
Evidence is uncountable in English; do not add -s.

2. a visible or noticeable thing that clearly shows that something else exists, has

2.nounB2
Definition

a visible or noticeable thing that clearly shows that something else exists, has happened, or is true

Example

When the cat started hiding, that was the first evidence that something was wrong.

collocation: first evidence + that-clause

The old house showed clear evidence of having been lived in for many decades.

collocation: clear evidence of [something]

Common collocations
  • clear evidence of
  • visible evidence
  • no evidence of
  • early evidence
  • first evidence
Synonyms
  • sign

    more general and less formal; a sign can be very small or indirect

  • indication

    suggests a clue rather than a clear visible marker

  • proof

    stronger; implies the visible sign leaves no room for doubt

Grammar Patterns

evidence + of + noun phrase

evidence + that-clause

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'of' followed by a noun. The visible thing itself is described, not argued from — this sense says 'X is a sign of Y' rather than 'X proves Y.'

3. facts, documents, objects, or statements presented to a court or used in an offi

3.nounB1
Definition

facts, documents, objects, or statements presented to a court or used in an official investigation to establish whether someone is guilty, innocent, or whether an account of events is correct

Example

The lawyer presented new evidence that changed the result of the trial.

collocation: present evidence

The police stored the knife in a sealed bag as evidence for the court case.

Common collocations
  • physical evidence
  • forensic evidence
  • circumstantial evidence
  • material evidence
  • key evidence
  • present evidence
  • produce evidence
  • withhold evidence
  • evidence against
  • evidence in court
Synonyms
  • proof

    in legal contexts, proof is the conclusion reached from evidence, not the evidence itself

  • testimony

    specifically the spoken words of a witness

  • exhibit

    a specific object or document formally presented as evidence in court

Grammar Patterns

evidence + against + noun phrase

present / produce / introduce evidence

physical / material / forensic evidence

Usage Note

Still uncountable in this legal sense. In court, individual items are called 'items of evidence' or 'exhibits,' not 'evidences.' Common modifiers: forensic, circumstantial, physical, material.

Common Mistakes

The witness gave a key evidence in court.
The witness gave key evidence in court.' or 'The witness gave a key piece of evidence in court.
Evidence cannot take the indefinite article 'a.'
Idioms

(on) the balance of evidence/probability

idiom

When you consider all the evidence from both sides to decide what is most likely true or what probably happened.

On the balance of evidence, the jury found the defendant guilty.

The judge decided on the balance of probabilities that the contract was valid.

(be) in evidence

idiom

Something that is present and easily noticed or seen.

Security guards were very in evidence at the concert.

The new technology was much in evidence at the trade fair.

evidence — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Evidence and proof both refer to information that supports a claim, but they differ in strength. Proof suggests something has been shown beyond any reasonable doubt — it is the conclusion. Evidence is the material that leads toward that conclusion but does not guarantee it. Indication is the weakest of the three, pointing to a possibility rather than establishing a fact — for example, a headache may be an indication of stress but is hardly proof. Testimony is narrower still, referring specifically to spoken or written statements made by witnesses, most often in legal contexts. In everyday use: 'The muddy footprints were evidence that someone had entered the house overnight,' but 'The DNA match was proof of his identity.'

evidence ↗proof ↗indication ↗testimony ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • piece of evidence
  • body of evidence
  • lack of evidence
  • item of evidence

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in evidence
  • on the evidence of
  • turn state's evidence

Prepositions

  • evidence of
  • evidence for
  • evidence against

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Evidence comes from the Latin word 'evidentia,' meaning 'clearness' or 'plainness,' which is built from 'evidens' (clear, obvious). That word combines 'e-' (out of) and 'videre' (to see) — so its original picture is 'that which can be seen clearly.' The word passed through French before entering English around the year 1300, first carrying the meaning of 'clearness' and later developing into the modern sense of 'facts that serve as proof.'