ETYM French évidence, Latin Evidentia. Related to Evident.
1. One's basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief; SYN. grounds.
2. An indication that makes something evident.
3. (Law) All the means by which any alleged matter of fact whose truth is investigated at judicial trial is established or disproved.
In law, the testimony of witnesses and production of documents and other material in court proceedings, in order to prove or disprove facts at issue in the case. Witnesses must swear or affirm that their evidence is true. In English law, giving false evidence is the crime of perjury.
Documentary evidence has a wide scope including maps, soundtracks, and films, in addition to documents in writing. Objects such as weapons used in crimes may serve as evidence. Evidence obtained illegally, such as a confession under duress, may be excluded from the court.
ETYM Latin indicatio: cf. French indication.
1. A signal that serves to indicate or suggest something.
2. The act of indicating; SYN. indicating.
ETYM French symptôme, Greek, anything that has befallen one, a chance, causality, symptom, from sympiptein to fall together; syn with + piptein to fall; akin to Skr. pat to fly, to fall. Related to Syn-, Asymptote, Feather.
Any change or manifestation in the body suggestive of disease as perceived by the sufferer. Symptoms are subjective phenomena. In strict usage, symptoms are events or changes reported by the patient; signs are noted by the doctor during the patient’s examination.
1. Anything that accompanies X and is regarded as an indication of X's existence.
2. (Medical) Any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease.