probable cause

noun

: a reasonable ground for supposing that a charge is well-founded

Examples of probable cause in a Sentence

The lawyer argued that there was a lack of probable cause for a search warrant. The police had probable cause to arrest him.

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.

The Prosecuting Attorney of Morgan County in Missouri charged Tyler Wade Gibson with child abuse and performing an unauthorized surgery, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. —

Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024 Officers retrieved a wallet with different credit cards and debit cards that Richards had allegedly hidden in his buttocks, according to the probable cause statement. —

Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024 Ashcroft allegedly returned home later, bloodied and without his mother, about 20 minutes prior to calling 911, a probable cause statement read. —

Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 11 Nov. 2024 The suspect was booked into a local jail after police found probable cause for a hate crime, police said. —

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for probable cause

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of probable cause was circa 1676

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Probable cause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probable%20cause. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation