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

Prosecutors later told the magistrate judge that the testimony about the origins of the case was not relevant to a probable cause finding, saying those kinds of issues could be raised at a later time. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Judge Faruqui seemed skeptical of the objection, saying that the testimony appeared to be directly relevant to his eventual determination of whether there is sufficient probable cause for the charges. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

The probable cause affidavit said Storey used the church credit card account to pay for one or more cruises totaling $77,025. — Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026

County officials said his probable cause affidavit was not yet public because his arrest is part of an ongoing investigation. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for probable cause

• magnetopause
• ahs
• baas
• clause
• claws
• coz
• daws
• draws
• flaws
• gauze
• gnaws
• haws

Legal Definition

probable cause

see also:

cause sense 2