definitions

state's evidence

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR state's evidence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

evidence given by an accomplice in a crime who becomes a voluntary witness against the other defendants: The defendants' case was lost when one of them turned state's evidence.
evidence for the state, especially in criminal trials.

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RELATED WORDS

singing, tergiversation

Nearby words

state tree, state trooper, state university, state visit, state's attorney, state's evidence, state-dependent learning, statecraft, stated, stated case, statehood

Origin of state's evidence

First recorded in 1790–1800
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for state's evidence

state's evidence

noun (in the US)

the evidence for the prosecution given on behalf of a state in a criminal prosecution
evidence given for the state by an accomplice against his former associates in crime (esp in the phrase turn state's evidence)Brit equivalent: king's evidence, queen's evidence
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