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
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
The senior Essex coroner, Lincoln Brookes, found "no evidential basis to consider this attack was possibly preventable so many years and imponderables later".
From BBC • Oct. 15, 2025
Mr Cameron further told the hearing he anticipated "four to five weeks for the evidential hearings."
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025
It is not necessary to press this, however, and it is better for the present to separate the dogmatic statements from those which are more properly evidential.
From Supernatural Religion, Vol. III. (of III) An Inquiry into the Reality of Divine Revelation by Cassels, Walter Richard
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.
