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Webster 1913 Edition


Evidence

Ev′i-dence

,
Noun.
[F.
évidence
, L.
Evidentia
. See
Evident
.]
1.
That which makes evident or manifest; that which furnishes, or tends to furnish, proof; any mode of proof; the ground of belief or judgement;
as, the
evidence
of our senses;
evidence
of the truth or falsehood of a statement.
Faith is . . . the
evidence
of things not seen.
Heb. xi. 1.
O glorious trial of exceeding love
Illustrious
evidence
, example high.
Milton.
2.
One who bears witness.
[R.]
“Infamous and perjured evidences.”
Sir W. Scott.
3.
(Law)
That which is legally submitted to competent tribunal, as a means of ascertaining the truth of any alleged matter of fact under investigation before it; means of making proof; – the latter, strictly speaking, not being synonymous with evidence, but rather the effect of it.
Greenleaf.
Syn. – Testimony; proof. See
Testimony
.

Ev′i-dence

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Evidenced
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Evidencing
.]
To render evident or clear; to prove; to evince;
as, to
evidence
a fact, or the guilt of an offender
.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition


Evidence

EV'IDENCE

,
Noun.
[L. evidentia, from video, to see.]
1.
That which elucidates and enables the mind to see truth; proof arising from our own perceptions by the senses, or from the testimony of others, or from inductions of reason. Our senses furnish evidence of the existence of matter, of solidity, of color, of heat and cold, of a difference in the qualities of bodies, of figure , &c. The declarations of a witness furnish evidence of facts to a court and jury; and reasoning, or the deductions of the mind from facts or arguments, furnish evidence of truth or falsehood.
2.
Any instrument or writing which contains proof.
I delivered the evidence of the purchase to Baruch. Jer.32.
I subscribed the evidence and sealed it. Jer.32.
3.
A witness; one who testifies to a fact. This sense is improper and inelegant, though common, and found even in Johnson's writings.

EV'IDENCE

,
Verb.
T.
To elucidate; to prove; to make clear to the mind; to show in such a manner that the mind can apprehend the truth, or in a manner to convince it. The testimony of two witnesses is usually sufficient to evidence the guilt of an offender. The works of creation clearly evidence the existence of an infinite first cause.

Definition 2024


évidence

évidence

See also: evidence

French

Noun

évidence f (plural évidences)

  1. obviousness, clearness
    Il faut se rendre à l'évidence.
    We must face the facts.

Derived terms

Related terms