Basic Details
Word: Evidence
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Facts, objects or signs that show something is true or has happened, such as fingerprints at a crime scene or results from an experiment.
Synonyms: proof, sign, testimony
How to Spell Evidence
Syllables: ev - i - dence
Tricky part: The ending is ence, not ance or ense. The middle vowel is i: ev-i-dence.
Watch out for: evidance, evedence, evidense
Memory tip: Evidence ends just like confidence: d-e-n-c-e. Good evidence gives you confidence in the truth.
Idioms and Phrases
- in evidence: easy to see; present and noticeable Example: "Police were much in evidence outside the stadium on match day."
Usage Examples
Example 1: The scientist needed more evidence before she could publish her findings.
Example 2: Muddy paw prints on the sofa were clear evidence that Bruno had been inside.
Example 3: There is no evidence that eating carrots lets you see in the dark.
Fun Fact
India's Evidence Act of 1872 was in force for over 150 years until the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replaced it in July 2024.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. evidence 2. witnes 3. testimoney 4. verdick
a) the decision reached by a judge or jury
b) a formal statement of what someone knows, given in court
c) facts or signs that show whether something is true
d) a person who sees an event and can describe it
Show answer
c) facts or signs that show whether something is true. Witness ends in a double s, verdict in ct, and testimony has no e before y; evidence alone is right.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
ev_d_nce
a) i, a
b) e, a
c) i, e
d) a, e
Show answer
c) i, e. Split it as ev-i-dence: an i in the middle and ence at the end.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The lawyer placed fresh ceedivne before the judge on the last day of the trial.
a) residence
b) evident
c) evince
d) evidence
Show answer
d) evidence. With three e's, a c and an n, only evidence fits; a lawyer presents it in court.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these could be evidence at the scene of a theft?
a) fingerprints on a window
b) a song on the radio
c) the colour of the sky
d) the date on a calendar
Show answer
a) fingerprints on a window
2. Evidence is usually uncountable. Which phrase is correct?
a) many evidences
b) an evidence
c) a piece of evidence
d) two evidences
Show answer
c) a piece of evidence
