Meaning & use

probative

adjective·Advanced

Serving to prove or test something, especially in a legal context regarding evidence.

See it in a sentence

The judge ruled that the photographs had strong probative value in the trial.

Lawyers argued over whether the testimony carried any real probative weight.

A note on using this word

Probative is a technical legal term, almost always paired with 'value' or 'weight' when describing evidence.

Words with a similar meaning

evidentiary

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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