evidentiary

adjective

ev·​i·​den·​tia·​ry ˌe-və-ˈden-chə-rē 

-chē-ˌer-ē

1

: being, relating to, or affording evidence

photographs of evidentiary value

2

: conducted so that evidence may be presented

an evidentiary hearing

Examples of evidentiary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By the end of July, Pirro moved to dismiss the case altogether, alleging that the Interior Department had delayed producing materials to prosecutors that undermined the evidentiary basis for the case. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

The common thread is not that regulators are replacing clinical research or lowering evidentiary standards. — Mirjam Trame, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The federal judge overseeing the case must decide whether there should be an evidentiary hearing on the motion to suppress, as requested by the defendant’s counsel. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

The family and courts then improvised around evidentiary power that nobody had planned for. — Jihun Joun, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for evidentiary

• plenipotentiary

Legal Definition

evidentiary

adjective

ev·​i·​den·​tia·​ry ˌe-və-ˈden-chə-rē, -chē-ˌer-ē 

1

: being, relating to, or affording evidence

photographs of evidentiary value

2

: conducted so that evidence may be presented

an evidentiary hearing

evidentiarily adverb