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

Scientists had misunderstood the jugal bone in snakes and snake relatives for generations, and the Najash fossils gave them direct evidence to correct the record.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026

Parnell demanded Financial Times retract the report, but did not provide direct evidence that the report was false.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

"My big issue was what I called 'the bystander effect', which I've direct evidence of," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Published March 19 in Science, the research provides the oldest direct evidence of plate movement, dating back 3.5 billion years.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

There is no direct evidence regarding de’ Barbari’s date of birth, but he was described as old and ill in 1512; his earliest securely dated work is 1500.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton