Standard Lemma guide

evidence

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns/
  • UK, US: /ˈɛv.ə.dəns/
  • US: [ˈɛv.ɪ.ɾɪns]
  • US: [ˈɛv.ə.ɾɪns]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈev.ɪ.dəns/
  • CMU ARPABET: EH1 V AH0 D AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Facts or observations presented in support of an assertion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • There is no evidence that anyone was here earlier.
  • We have enough cold hard evidence in that presentation which will make a world of pain for our parasitic friends at Antarctica.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Anything admitted by a court to prove or disprove alleged matters of fact in a trial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

One who bears witness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A body of objectively verifiable facts that are positively indicative of, and/or exclusively concordant with, that one conclusion over any other.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To provide evidence for, or suggest the truth of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • She was furious, as evidenced by her slamming the door.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the evidence that smoking causes lung cancer is very compelling

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grounds

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: information

Narrower terms: probable cause, proof, cogent evidence, disproof, falsification, refutation, lead, track, trail, symptom, sign

7

noun

Meaning 7

an indication that makes something evident

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his trembling was evidence of his fear

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indication, indicant

Narrower terms: smoking gun, clue, clew, cue, footprint evidence, record, testimony, testimonial, argument, statement, attestation, identification

8

noun

Meaning 8

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: information, info

Narrower terms: exhibit, testimony, corpus delicti, direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, indirect evidence, corroborating evidence, hearsay evidence, state's evidence

9

verb

Meaning 9

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His high fever attested to his illness
  • The buildings in Rome manifest a high level of architectural sophistication
  • This decision demonstrates his sense of fairness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: attest, certify, manifest, demonstrate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: testify, bear witness, prove, evidence, show

Narrower terms: authenticate, reflect, notarize, notarise, condemn

10

verb

Meaning 10

give evidence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was telling on all his former colleague

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tell

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inform

11

verb

Meaning 11

provide evidence for

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The blood test showed that he was the father
  • Her behavior testified to her incompetence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: testify, bear witness, prove, show

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inform

Narrower terms: attest, certify, manifest, demonstrate, evidence, presume, adduce, abduce, cite

History

Etymology

From Middle English evidence, from Old French [Term?], from Latin evidentia (“clearness, in Late Latin a proof”), from evidens (“clear, evident”); see evident.

Across languages

Translations

208 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: dëshmi — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Arabic: دَلِيل (dalīl) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Arabic: بُرْهَان (burhān) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Armenian: վկայություն (vkayutʻyun) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Armenian: ապացույց (apacʻuycʻ) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Azerbaijani: dəlil — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Azerbaijani: sübut — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Azerbaijani: şəhadət — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Azerbaijani: isbat — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Bashkir: дәлил (dəlil) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Belarusian: до́каз (dókaz) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Belarusian: све́дчанне (svjédčannje) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Belarusian: пасве́дчанне (pasvjédčannje) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Bengali: প্রমাণ (proman) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Bulgarian: доказа́телство (dokazátelstvo) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Burmese: သက်သေ (sakse) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Catalan: prova — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 證據 /证据 (zhèngjù) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Czech: důkaz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Danish: bevis — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Dutch: bewijs — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Dutch: bewijsmateriaal — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Esperanto: atesto — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Esperanto: indico — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Esperanto: evidenteco — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Estonian: tõend — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Finnish: osoitus — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Finnish: näyttö — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Finnish: todiste — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • French: preuve — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Galician: proba — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Georgian: მტკიცებულება (mṭḳicebuleba) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • German: Beweis — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • German: Indiz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Greek: απόδειξη (apódeixi) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Greek: τεκμήριο (tekmírio) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hebrew: ראיות (reayót) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hindi: साक्ष्य (sākṣya) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hindi: प्रमाण (pramāṇ) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hindi: सबूत (sabūt) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hungarian: tanúvallomás — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hungarian: vallomás — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Hungarian: tanúságtétel — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Indonesian: bukti — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Interlingua: evidentia — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Irish: fianaise — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Italian: prova — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Italian: evidenza — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Japanese: 証拠 (shōko) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Kazakh: дәлел (dälel) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Khmer: សក្ខីភាព (sakkhəy phiəp) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Khmer: ហ្ល័កឋាន (lak thaan) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Khmer: ភស្តុតាង (phŏəh taang) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Khmer: តឹកតាង (tək taang) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Khmer: ទឡ្ហីករណៈ (tŏəlhəykaʼraʼnaʼ) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Korean: 증거 (jeunggeo) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Kyrgyz: далил (dalil) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Latin: argūmentum — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Latin: indicium — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Latvian: pierādījums — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Lithuanian: įrodymas — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Macedonian: доказ (dokaz) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Malay: bukti — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Malayalam: തെളിവ് (teḷivŭ) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Māori: taunaki — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Māori: tohu taunaki — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Māori: taunakitanga — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Marathi: साक्ष (sākṣa) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Marathi: पुरावा (purāvā) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Central Melanau: tadasah — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Mongolian: баталгаа (batalgaa) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Mongolian: баримт (barimt) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bevis — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: evidens — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Occitan: pròva — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: گواه (govâh) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: مدارک (madârak) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: سند (sanad) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: اثر (asar) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: شهادت (šahâdat) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: اثبات (esbât) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Persian: دَلیل (dalil) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Plautdietsch: Tieekjniss — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Plautdietsch: Bewiess — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Polish: dowód — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Portuguese: evidência — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Portuguese: prova — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Punjabi: ਗਵਾਹੀ (gavāhī) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Punjabi: ਸ਼ਹਾਦਤ (śahādat) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Romanian: dovadă — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Russian: доказа́тельство (dokazátelʹstvo) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Russian: свиде́тельство (svidételʹstvo) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Sanskrit: प्रमाण (pramāṇa) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Sanskrit: साक्ष्य (sākṣya) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Scottish Gaelic: dearbhadh — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Scottish Gaelic: fianais — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Serbo-Croatian: до̏ка̄з — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Serbo-Croatian: dȍkāz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Slovak: dôkaz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Slovene: dokaz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Lower Sorbian: dopokaz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Upper Sorbian: dopokaz — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Swedish: bevis — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Tagalog: katibayan — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Tajik: шаҳодат (šahodat) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Tajik: исбот (isbot) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Tajik: далел (dalel) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Tatar: дәлил (dälil) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Telugu: సాక్ష్యం (sākṣyaṁ) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Thai: พยานหลักฐาน (pá-yaan-làk-tǎan) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Thai: การพิสูจน์ (gaan-pí-sùut) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Turkish: ispat — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Turkish: kanıt — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Turkish: delil — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Ukrainian: до́каз (dókaz) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Ukrainian: свідо́цтво (svidóctvo) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Ukrainian: сві́дчення (svídčennja) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Urdu: ثبوت (sabūt) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Uyghur: ئىسپات (ispat) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Uyghur: دەلىل (delil) — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Uzbek: isbot — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Uzbek: dalil — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Vietnamese: sự chứng nhận — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Vietnamese: bằng chứng — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Welsh: tystiolaeth — facts or observations presented in support of an assertion
  • Arabic: دَلِيل (dalīl) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Bulgarian: доказа́телство (dokazátelstvo) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Catalan: prova — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Chinese Mandarin: 證據 /证据 (zhèngjù) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Danish: vidneudsagn — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Danish: vidneforklaring — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Danish: bevismateriale — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Dutch: bewijs — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Dutch: bewijsmateriaal — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Finnish: näyttö — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Finnish: todiste — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Finnish: todistusaineisto — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • French: preuve — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Galician: proba — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • German: Beweismittel — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • German: Indiz — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Greek: πειστήριο (peistírio) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Greek: κατάθεση (katáthesi) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Hebrew: רְאָיָה (re'ayá) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Hungarian: bizonyíték — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Hungarian: bűnjel — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Indonesian: bukti — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Interlingua: proba, prova — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Irish: fianaise — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Japanese: 証拠 (shōko) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Malayalam: തെളിവ് (teḷivŭ) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Māori: taunakitanga — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vitneutsagn — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vitneforklaring — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bevismateriale — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Persian: گواه (govâh) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Persian: مدارک (madârak) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Persian: سند (sanad) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Persian: اثر (asar) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Plautdietsch: Tieekjniss — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Polish: dowód — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Polish: dowody — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Portuguese: evidência — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Russian: ули́ка (ulíka) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Scottish Gaelic: dearbhadh — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Scottish Gaelic: fianais — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Slovak: dôkaz — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Lower Sorbian: dopokaz — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Spanish: evidencia — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Swedish: bevisning — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Swedish: bevismaterial — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Telugu: సాక్షాధారము (sākṣādhāramu) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Thai: พยานหลักฐาน (pá-yaan-làk-tǎan) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Ukrainian: до́каз (dókaz) — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Welsh: tystiolaeth — anything admitted by a court as proof
  • Bulgarian: дока́звам (dokázvam) — to provide evidence
  • Bulgarian: дока́жа (dokáža) — to provide evidence
  • Danish: vidne — to provide evidence
  • Danish: godtgøre — to provide evidence
  • Danish: bevise — to provide evidence
  • Finnish: näyttää — to provide evidence
  • Finnish: osoittaa — to provide evidence
  • French: prouver — to provide evidence
  • French: démontrer — to provide evidence
  • Galician: probar — to provide evidence
  • German: beweisen — to provide evidence
  • Greek: αποδεικνύω (apodeiknýo) — to provide evidence
  • Hebrew: לימד (liméd) — to provide evidence
  • Hebrew: הראה (her'á) — to provide evidence
  • Hungarian: tanúsít — to provide evidence
  • Hungarian: bizonyít — to provide evidence
  • Indonesian: membuktikan — to provide evidence
  • Interlingua: evidentiar — to provide evidence
  • Norwegian: vitne — to provide evidence
  • Norwegian: bevise — to provide evidence
  • Polish: udowodnić — to provide evidence
  • Polish: dowodzić — to provide evidence
  • Polish: udowadniać — to provide evidence
  • Russian: доказать (dokazatʹ) — to provide evidence
  • Russian: доказывать (dokazyvatʹ) — to provide evidence
  • Slovak: dokázať — to provide evidence
  • Slovak: dokazovať — to provide evidence
  • Slovak: preukázať — to provide evidence
  • Spanish: evidenciar — to provide evidence
  • Swedish: bevisa — to provide evidence
  • Swedish: föra i bevis — to provide evidence
  • Ukrainian: сві́дчити (svídčyty) — to provide evidence
Real reading context

evidence in complete knowledge articles