direct evidence

American  

noun

1. evidence of a witness who testifies to the truth of the fact to be proved (contrasted with circumstantial evidence).

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direct evidence British  

noun

1. law evidence, usually the testimony of a witness, directly relating to the fact in dispute Compare circumstantial evidence

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Example Sentences

The results provide direct evidence that the way atoms are organized inside a material can have a measurable influence on its electronic characteristics.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026

"For decades, we've observed tremendous variability in how autism manifests, but we lacked direct evidence that these differences reflected distinct underlying biology," said Dr. Alessandro Gozzi, at Italian Institute of Technology.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

So far, there is no direct evidence that removing meat advertising from public spaces leads to a shift toward more plant-based societies.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Beyond a handful of written statements, including one insisting the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, there is little direct evidence of his day-to-day control.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

It would give physicists the first direct evidence that the big bang was correct and that steady state was wrong.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife