benefit of the doubt
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of benefit of the doubt
First recorded in 1840–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sadly, Hurts hasn’t been given the benefit of the doubt.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
Despite the "red flags", Ella decided to give Darryl Smith the benefit of the doubt and agreed to shadow a Harry Potter themed tour on 13 July.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The post sought to downplay the gravity of the situation and opined that investors are likely to give Aschenbrenner the benefit of the doubt.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
“The government has not earned the benefit of the doubt here for me to believe that that’s literally the response of the Mexican government,” Vera said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026
Yet Oppenheimer almost always gave Ernest the benefit of the doubt.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
