not proven

British

/ ˈprəʊvən /

adjective

(postpositive) a third verdict available to Scottish courts, returned when there is evidence against the defendant but insufficient to convict

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 virus wasn’t detected in any of the four cats, so infection was not proven.”

From Los Angeles Times

"In fact, the authors of the paper clearly stated in the paper that they had not proven a link but suggested more research should be done. That research has been done, and no evidence of a link has been found."

From BBC

The removal of the not proven verdict, which is unique to Scottish courts and can be traced back to the 17th Century, will be a major milestone in the country's legal history.

From BBC

Not proven is one of three verdicts that can be returned in Scotland's criminal courts, alongside guilty and not guilty.

From BBC

Raising the bar for guilty verdicts is intended to allay the concerns of some defence lawyers who fear the the abolition of the not proven verdict could increase the risk of wrongful convictions.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023