evidential
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of evidential
Explanation
Evidential is an adjective that means serving as evidence. The receipt for the stolen blue suede shoes would be evidential proof of what you paid for the shoes when you bought them from the Elvis estate. Often used as a legal term, evidential is sometimes paired with the words "proof," "burden," or "hearing." Like many legal words, this one comes from medieval Latin (in this case, evidentialis). Lop off the last two letters and you have the English word. If a Roman took an Englishman to court for lopping at the words in his language, though, he'd need to show some evidential proof that the Englishman was guilty.
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.
The charges were later dropped "on evidential grounds".
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
South Yorkshire Police said the evidential threshold had not been met for prosecution in what it described as "an incredibly complex case".
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
The Crown Office said it worked closely with the police to review unresolved homicides to establish if there were any new evidential developments.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
The Northumbria force said the case had been dropped due to "evidential difficulties" but inquiries into criminal damage outside the premises were ongoing.
From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025
Naturally, such tales as follow, in which hear-say must figure considerably, cannot lay claim to the evidential value possessed by the carefully sifted records of the Psychical Research Society.
From Stranger Than Fiction Being Tales from the Byways of Ghosts and Folk-lore by Lewes, Mary L.
Definitions 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.
