evidentiary

Evidentiary is an adjective used to describe matters that relate to evidence, particularly in legal and investigative contexts. The term derives from evidence, with the suffix -ary indicating a relationship or relevance. While closely related to the word evidential, evidentiary is the more common form in legal writing and formal discourse.

In law, the word describes rules, procedures, and inquiries dealing with evidence. Evidentiary rules govern admissibility, relevance, authenticity, and the weight that evidence may be given in decision-making. An evidentiary hearing, for example, is a proceeding focused on resolving questions about the admissibility or sufficiency of evidence before a full trial. The phrase evidentiary standard refers to the level of proof required for a fact to be proven or for evidence to be considered, such as preponderance of the evidence or clear and convincing evidence.

Evidentiary concepts also appear in non-litigation contexts, where they describe the evidentiary value or probative force of information, documents, or observations. For instance, the evidentiary value of a document relates to how strongly it supports a conclusion, given issues like reliability, provenance, and potential biases. The term is used in journalism, investigations, and academic research to signal the role of data as supporting material rather than conclusive proof.