A good explanation evinces a willingness to report facts, and we aim to do just that here. To evince something is to show it clearly; the thing evinced is typically an intangible, such as an attitude or intent. Before the current use of evince was established in the late 18th century, the word could mean "to conquer or subdue" and "to convince or conclusively refute," both meanings evincing a link to the word's Latin ancestry: the verb evincere, means "to vanquish" or "to win a point." It comes from another Latin verb, vincere, meaning "to conquer." That word counts among its offspring convince, invincible, vanquish, and victory.
show is the general term but sometimes implies that what is revealed must be gained by inference from acts, looks, or words.
careful not to show his true feelings
manifest implies a plainer, more immediate revelation.
manifested musical ability at an early age
evidence suggests serving as proof of the actuality or existence of something.
a commitment evidenced by years of loyal service
evince implies a showing by outward marks or signs.
evinced not the slightest fear
demonstrate implies showing by action or by display of feeling.
demonstrated their approval by loud applause
Examples of evince in a Sentence
She evinced an interest in art at an early age.
Recent Examples on the WebElliot’s mother had a bit of the hoarding tendencies evinced by his lead character, who grew up with a cleft palate.—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2024 At the same time, Lie, in the equally strong but less showy part, evinces great empathy.—Alissa Simon, Variety, 9 Sep. 2024 Today, much of the environmental movement continues to evince such alarmism and, consequently, is unable to prioritize.—Frances Beinecke, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012 Ricardo José Rivera evinced star quality as Norcesto, his chest voice resonant and his high notes brilliant.—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for evince
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evince.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin evincere to vanquish, win a point, from e- + vincere to conquer — more at victor
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