probative

American  

[proh-buh-tiv, prob-uh-] / ˈproʊ bə tɪv, ˈprɒb ə- /

Also probatory

adjective

1. serving or designed for testing or trial.

2. affording proof or evidence.

---

probative British  

/ -trɪ, ˈprəʊbətərɪ, ˈprəʊbətɪv /

adjective

1. serving to test or designed for testing

2. providing proof or evidence

---

Other Word Forms

• nonprobative adjective
• nonprobatory adjective
• probatively adverb
• unprobative adjective

Etymology

Origin of probative

1425–75; late Middle English < Middle French probatif < Latin probātīvus of proof. See probate, -ive

Example Sentences

A burnt horseshoe found in the rubble is more promising as a probative clue.

From Los Angeles Times

“Although the State deferred certain questions, in many other instances, the grand jurors asked probative questions, and received complete answers from witnesses, without State interference,” Marlowe Sommer wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

But, Bader said, "there was a lot of the evidence that came in was probably more prejudicial than probative, which is the standard for admissibility."

From Salon

Santos has produced so much ludicrous theater for news cameras that, in the hands of a probative interviewer with minimal fact-checking ability, some quality wild weirdness could have been mined from the situation.

From Salon

But Cohen said Bankman-Fried's "knowledge that lawyers were involved in structuring and documenting the loans would be probative of his good faith belief that there was nothing inappropriate."

From Reuters