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
In addition to the indirect evidence that the undercount can’t be that big, every ten years, the bureau spends millions of dollars trying to figure out how many people actually got missed by the previous decennial census by re-canvasing a representative sample of neighborhoods.
—
Steven A. Camarota, National Review, 4 Apr. 2022
Over the past few decades, indirect evidence has surfaced for microbial communities on land during the Archean.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
Through documents obtained from officials, lawmakers or through freedom of information requests, the AP found direct evidence that 19 children were adopted out of Brothers between 1979 and 1986, and indirect evidence suggesting at least 51 more adoptions.
—BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2022
In the rubble lay key components of a telescope that had delivered some of the most important scientific discoveries of the past half-century: indirect evidence of gravitational waves, a map of the surface of Venus, and detection of the first exoplanets.
—Joel Goldberg, Science | AAAS, 22 Jan. 2021
Hard to Discern: After police in Charlotte, N.C., fatally shot Keith Lamont Scott in 2016, District Attorney Andrew Murray showed reporters indirect evidence that Scott was armed (top).
—Dan Greene, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2018
There has been pretty good indirect evidence for gravitational waves for a while.
—Jeffrey Wilkerson, Discover Magazine, 25 Feb. 2016
Other indirect evidence shows that lower temperatures turn up a passion for romance.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2022
The Fermilab experiment offers only indirect evidence, hinting at new laws of physics through the muon.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2021
See More
Steven A. Camarota, National Review, 4 Apr. 2022
Over the past few decades, indirect evidence has surfaced for microbial communities on land during the Archean.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
Through documents obtained from officials, lawmakers or through freedom of information requests, the AP found direct evidence that 19 children were adopted out of Brothers between 1979 and 1986, and indirect evidence suggesting at least 51 more adoptions.
—BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2022
In the rubble lay key components of a telescope that had delivered some of the most important scientific discoveries of the past half-century: indirect evidence of gravitational waves, a map of the surface of Venus, and detection of the first exoplanets.
—Joel Goldberg, Science | AAAS, 22 Jan. 2021
Hard to Discern: After police in Charlotte, N.C., fatally shot Keith Lamont Scott in 2016, District Attorney Andrew Murray showed reporters indirect evidence that Scott was armed (top).
—Dan Greene, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2018
There has been pretty good indirect evidence for gravitational waves for a while.
—Jeffrey Wilkerson, Discover Magazine, 25 Feb. 2016
Other indirect evidence shows that lower temperatures turn up a passion for romance.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2022
The Fermilab experiment offers only indirect evidence, hinting at new laws of physics through the muon.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indirect evidence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1824, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of indirect evidence was
in 1824
Dictionary Entries Near indirect evidence
Cite this Entry
“Indirect evidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indirect%20evidence. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.
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Legal Definition
indirect evidence
see evidence
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