indirect evidence

noun

: evidence that establishes immediately collateral facts from which the main fact may be inferred : circumstantial evidence

Examples of indirect evidence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Previously, the Clovis people's diet had been determined only by analyzing indirect evidence, such as the remains of prey animals and stone tools, or from speculative studies. —

Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 Theropod trackways as indirect evidence of pre-avian aerial behavior. —

Margherita Bassi, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024 There has been little direct evidence of such garments, but bone needles and the bones of the fur-bearing animals used to make pelts provide some indirect evidence of this early tailoring. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 27 Nov. 2024 Part of that indirect evidence comes from modern animals’ ability to survive extreme and catastrophic situations by remaining in their burrows. —

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for indirect evidence

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of indirect evidence was in 1824

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Indirect evidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indirect%20evidence. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

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