preponderance of the evidence
More probable than not
Preponderance of the evidence is the standard of proof in most civil trials, requiring that one side's case be more convincing than the other's.
Unlike criminal cases, which demand proof beyond a reasonable doubt, civil plaintiffs need only tip the scales slightly in their favor—anything over fifty percent certainty suffices.
The jury found by a preponderance of the evidence that the company was negligent.
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
- standard of proofRequired level of certainty
- tip the scalesBecome the deciding factor
- civil litigationNon-criminal court proceedings
- civil casesNon-criminal legal disputes
prima facie · materiality · witness testimony · clear and convincing · probability theory · corroboration · relevance · fact-finder · jury instructions · reliability · trial procedure · jury deliberation · admissibility · presumption of innocence · inductive reasoning · summary judgment · decision theory · logical consistency
preponderance of the evidencebeyond a reasonable doubt
Highest legal certainty standard
insufficient evidence · lack of evidence · beyond reasonable doubt · reasonable doubt · unproven
preponderance of the evidenceinsufficient evidence
Facts too weak to prove
lack of evidence · equipoise · deadlock · fifty-fifty · tie
preponderance, preponderant, ponder, ponderous, ponderable, imponderable, evidence, evident, evidential