What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
evidential
Example
The evidential value of the witness testimony was questioned by the defense. [evidential: adjective]
Example
The research findings provide evidential support for the hypothesis. [evidential: noun]
confirmatory
Example
The DNA test results were confirmatory of the suspect's guilt. [confirmatory: adjective]
Example
The study's findings provided confirmatory evidence for the previously proposed theory. [confirmatory: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Confirmatory is more commonly used than evidential in academic and research contexts, especially in the natural and social sciences. Evidential is more commonly used in legal or forensic contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between evidential and confirmatory?
Both evidential and confirmatory are formal words that are typically used in academic and professional contexts. However, evidential may be perceived as more technical or specialized due to its association with legal and forensic contexts.
