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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Evidence: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：proof (evidence)

evidence 🔊

/ˈevɪdəns/

Something concrete that shows whether something is true or false.

proof 🔊

➕

/prʊːf/

Tangible materials or facts presented to support a claim, especially in a legal or formal investigation.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'evidentia' (clearness, proof), from 'evidens' (obvious), from e- 'out' + videre 'to see'.

💡 Mnemonic

E-VI-DENCE: Every Visible Detail is Clear Evidence. Think of seeing something clearly (vid-) that proves a point.

📖 Example

The lawyer presented the fingerprint as evidence of the suspect's presence at the crime scene. 🔊 The lawyer presented the fingerprint as proof of the suspect's presence at the crime scene.

🔗 Collocations

physical evidence – Tangible proof like objects, fingerprints, or DNA.

conclusive evidence – Proof that settles a matter decisively.

circumstantial evidence – Indirect proof based on inference from surrounding facts.

🔄 Synonyms

proof (n.) – Evidence or argument establishing a fact or the truth of a statement.

indication (n.) – A sign or piece of information that suggests something.

confirmation (n.) – Evidence which verifies or substantiates something.

🚫 Antonyms

alibi (n.) – A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act was committed.

🌱 Derivatives

evident (adj.) – Clearly seen or understood; obvious.

evidently (adv.) – In a way that is clearly seen or understood; apparently.

📖 Cultural Story

The word entered English via Old French from Latin 'evidentia', meaning 'proof from what is visible'. It is foundational in law and science, fields built upon the principle that claims must be supported by observable, verifiable facts.

Meaning 2：indication (evidence)

evidence 🔊

/ˈevɪdəns/

A sign that suggests something might be happening or exist.

indication 🔊

➕

/ˌɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/

An observable sign or piece of information that suggests something might be happening or exist.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Her persistent cough was the first evidence that she might have caught an infection. 🔊 Her persistent cough was the first indication that she might have caught an infection.

🔗 Collocations

empirical evidence – Proof based on observation or experience rather than theory.

scientific evidence – Information gathered through systematic observation and experimentation.

tangible evidence – Proof that can be seen or touched.

🔄 Synonyms

sign (n.) – An object, quality, or event whose presence indicates the probable presence of something else.

symptom (n.) – A physical or mental feature indicating a condition of disease.

clue (n.) – A piece of evidence or information used in the detection of a crime or solving of a mystery.

🚫 Antonyms

speculation (n.) – The forming of a theory without firm evidence.