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MrGuedes Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

Evidence (meaning)

Hello! I've been wondering... What does "evidence" mean exactly? "Proof" or "indicia"? If I say I have "evidence" of something, am I saying that I have absolutely irrefutable proof of it (and no one can criticise or doubt it), or that I have compelling but uncertain indicia (someone can still doubt or criticise it, and eventually propose an alternative idea)? They are different things, and I've never really understood which one is the true meaning of "evidence"...
  

Top answer

Hello! I've been wondering... What does "evidence" mean exactly?

— AlpheccaStars

  • Hello!
  • I've been wondering...
  • What does "evidence" mean exactly?
  • "Proof" or "indicia"?
  • Evidence comes in many degrees.
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5 Answers
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Hello! I've been wondering... What does "evidence" mean exactly? "Proof" or "indicia"?

Evidence comes in many degrees.

We call "a smoking gun" hard or strong evidence, which would convince most juries of a suspect's guilt.
Circumstantial evidence is much weaker. It proves nothing, but may be convincing enough for a conviction.

Thus, evidence o
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OK. So, basically, it can mean both things?
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Evidence is not proof.
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MrGuedesOK. So, basically, it can mean both things?
No. A proof uses both evidence and argumentation.
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