direct evidence

American  

noun

1. evidence of a witness who testifies to the truth of the fact to be proved (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

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

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

"While the direct evidence of physical advantage in transgender people is pretty strong, the evidence of advantage for those with DSD, even though they have a Y chromosome, is highly disputed."

From BBC • Mar. 31, 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

"The idea that Betelgeuse had an undetected companion has been gaining in popularity for the past several years, but without direct evidence, it was an unproven theory," said Dupree.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 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