The definition of evidence broadly refers to facts, information, or data that support or justify a belief, claim, or proposition. It serves as a basis to believe that something is true or has happened.
- According to the Cambridge Dictionary, evidence is "facts, information, documents, etc. that give reason to believe that something is true"
- Wikipedia defines evidence as information used to establish or refute claims relevant to a case, including testimony, documents, or physical objects. It generally supports a proposition by indicating its truth and varies in definition across fields like science, law, and epistemology
- Collins Dictionary states evidence is anything seen, experienced, read, or told that causes belief in the truth or occurrence of something
- Dictionary.com defines evidence as "that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof," including legal data presented in court
- In clinical and scientific contexts, evidence is the body of facts or data on which decisions or hypotheses are based, ideally of high quality and relevant to the question at hand
- In law, evidence is the means by which facts are proved, including spoken testimony, documents, or physical objects, used to establish proof in court
In summary, evidence is factual information or material presented to support or justify a claim, belief, or decision, and its exact nature depends on the context—whether legal, scientific, clinical, or everyday reasoning
