[f. prec. sb.]
1. trans. Of things: To serve as evidence for; to attest, prove. Rarely intr. To evidence to.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., II. xii. § 2 (1622), 334. The testimonie of neither of them … doth so euidence the matter, as the things themselues doe.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, I. 1. Worcestershire … Kent, and many other parts … can sufficiently evidence the profits of Orchards.
1690. Penn, Rise & Progr. Quakers (1834), 57. His behaviour at Derby … did abundantly evidence it.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., VII. 520. Fierce passions … presage a nobler flight, And evidence our title to the skies.
1859. Halliwell, Evid. Chr., 97. Occurrences evidencing the divinity of Christ.
1875. Lyell, Princ. Geol. (ed. 12), II. II. xxviii. 88. The Hillsides … were much shaken, as evidenced by the many bare patches with which they were checquered.
1885. Clodd, Myths & Dr., I. iv. 68. The survival of grammatical forms common to the Aryan ancestors … evidenced to one parent primitive speech.
2. Of persons: To support by one’s testimony, attest (a fact or statement).
a. 1647. W. Bradford, Plymouth Plantation (1856), 424. Ye cause and passages … were clearly represented & sufficiently evidenced.
1667. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. (1684), 336. No one Saint in all the Calendar (except those attested by Scripture) is better evidenced.
1721. Southerne, Disappointm., III. ii. I invoke Heav’n, earth, and men to evidence my truth.
1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, II. III. iv. 38. The one [story] I am about to tell is so well evidenced, that I think even Mr. Vivian Grey will hear it without a sneer.
1864. Bowen, Logic, xiii. 422. This is no reason for doubting their reality, when they are evidenced by Intuition.
1886. R. F. Burton, Arab. Nts. (abridged), 163. If the truth of her story be evidenced I will exact retaliation.
† 3. To establish by evidence; to make evident, demonstrate, prove. With simple obj., obj. sentence, or inf. Obs.
1632. J. Lee, Short Surv. Sweden, 52–3. How great forces … this mighty Prince is able to bring into the field, may … by this late … expedition … easily be evidenced.
1648. Charles I., in Neal, Hist. Purit., III. 506. Until the same shall be evidenced to me to be contrary to the word of God.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. xvi. (1739), 31. This the words of the Historian do evidence.
1665–6. Phil. Trans., I. 244. Cassini pretends to evidence by his observations, that those spots were very large.
1673. Temple, Ess. Irel., Wks. 1731, I. 118. The Horses must be evidenced by good Testimonies to have been bred in Ireland.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. vii. Put together so many circumstances to evidence an untruth.
1793. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), III. 550. Our laws … to evidence their right to this, permit them [etc.].
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, I. Introd. As I will evidence in a few instances already quoted.
4. With reference to legal evidence. † a. To give evidence against (a person). Obs.
1691. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 190. Charles Edwards, who evidenc’d Mr. Arnold in 1683 … hath made affidavit … that what he swore against Mr. Arnold was false.
1695. Remarks Late Serm. (ed. 2), 6. One T. O. … hath … Evidenc’d I know not how many to the Gallows.
† b. To disclose or relate as a witness. Obs.
1656–7. Burton’s Diary (1828), I. 336. He evidenced two remarkable passages of her life.
1694. Crowne, Regulus, III. ii. I have nothing to evidence.
1812. J. J. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 161. The wretch had evidenced all our proceedings minutely.
c. intr. To give evidence, appear as a witness.
1656. S. H., Gold. Law, 19. His apparent perfections … spake and evidenced for him.
1692. Rochester, Contriv. S. Blackhead, in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 511/2. One of the most graceless wretches, that ever yet entered upon the stage of evidencing.
1693. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 185. Her maid … will evidence against her.
1887. A. C. Gordon, in Scribn. Mag., II. 366/1 (Farmer, Americanisms). I hadn’ ’a’ thought ye’d ’a’ evidenced agin me that-a-way.
5. To give evidence or indication of; to indicate, manifest. Const. with sb. or refl. pron. as obj., also with complementary inf. or with obj. sentence.
c. 1610. Sir J. Melvil, Mem. (1735), 91. Thereby evidencing she did not stand upon Ceremonies.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. xiii. 225. Were there any such effectuall heat in this starre, yet could it but weakly evidence the same in Summer.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. xxxiv. 20 Paraphr. 183. Evidenceth it selfe in a signal preservation of such.
1663. Charleton, Chor. Gigant., 56. The ruines evidence themselves to be the effect.
1705. S. Clarke, Nat. Relig. (ed. 10), 178 (R.). The Effect of this divine Assistance evidenced itself in a very visible and remarkable Manner.
1788. W. Tudor, in Sparks, Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853), IV. 230. A desire of evidencing that respect and gratitude which I ever personally feel for you.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., xii. 299. Her native hilarity of heart is evidenced constantly.
1872. Browning, Fifine, xliii. If somehow every face … Evidence … that warm Beneath the veriest ash, there hides a spark of soul.
1876. Digby, Real Prop., viii. 349. The courts eagerly seized on any expressions evidencing this intention.
Hence Evidencing ppl. a. and vbl. sb. Also attrib.
1630. Sanderson, Serm., II. 253. For the farther evidencing of the necessity of which duty.
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthenissa (1676), 170. By so evidencing a demonstration, it was impossible to separate us.
1682. Abs. & Achit., II. 74. Since our evidencing days began!
1774. Goldsm., Hist. Greece, I. 337. The most detested … part of the citizens, such as lived by evidencing and informing.
