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

"We are looking at direct evidence of large-scale arms trading. This discovery reveals a network of exchange and communication that was far more complex than previously thought," he said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 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

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

And no fossil has yet been found with stomach contents that would offer direct evidence of what they were dining on.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 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