indirect evidence
nounDefinition of indirect evidence
: 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
That’s why, for this new study in the journal Nature, an international team of astronomers relied on indirect evidence, searching instead for signatures of oxygen and helium—elements that can only be created in the cores of stars. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Astronomers Find Signature From the Universe’s Earliest Known Stars," 22 May 2018 Attorneys usually try to prove their case with indirect evidence, such as a defendant’s hiring record. — Liz Kowalczyk, BostonGlobe.com, "Black nurses sue Brigham and Women’s Hospital," 29 Apr. 2018 So the new studies sought to infer the state of the circulation from more indirect evidence. — Chris Mooney, chicagotribune.com, "Studies say Atlantic Ocean's circulation slowing dramatically, increasing climate change fears," 11 Apr. 2018 So the new studies sought to infer the state of the circulation from more indirect evidence. — Chris Mooney, BostonGlobe.com, "Atlantic Ocean circulation hasn’t been this sluggish in 1,000 years. What that means for New England," 11 Apr. 2018 Caltech astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin have accumulated indirect evidence for an object that’s more than twice the diameter of Earth, but 10 times as far from the sun as Pluto. — David Freeman, NBC News, "15 top science & tech leaders offer surprising predictions for 2018," 31 Dec. 2017 Until now there was only indirect evidence of kilonovas. — Dennis Overbye, New York Times, "LIGO Detects Fierce Collision of Neutron Stars for the First Time," 16 Oct. 2017 Several years ago, observations of the behaviour of pairs of dead stars called pulsars provided indirect evidence that such waves are real. — The Economist, "The Nobel physics prize goes to the spotters of gravitational waves," 3 Oct. 2017 And, whatever the value of using indirect evidence to interpret the Constitution, the demands of historical research and vigorous legal advocacy can tug in different directions. — Adam Liptak, New York Times, "‘Lonely Scholar With Unusual Ideas’ Defends Trump, Igniting Legal Storm," 25 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indirect evidence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on indirect evidence
What made you want to look up indirect evidence? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
A mythological/etymological mashup!
Take the quiz -
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Play the game
Share indirect evidence
Resources for indirect evidence