evidence is wanting

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "evidence is wanting" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where there is a lack of sufficient evidence to support a claim or argument. Example: "In this case, the jury found that the evidence is wanting, leading to a verdict of not guilty."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

So far, evidence is wanting.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

If, indeed, experiential evidence is wanted, it might be found up there in my natal far north, where this whole polar vortex thing is a cause of mordant laughter, since what they are experiencing, and have been for many years now, might be called the "Manhattan inflow".

The New Yorker

NEW YORK — Mr. William Rockefeller, whose evidence is wanted by the committee inquiring into the "Money Trust," but who is reluctant to appear as a witness, continues to defy the United States Government and to demonstrate that every American millionaire's home is his castle.

The New York Times

Mr. Comey should have reasonably recognized that the chance of finding a smoking gun in the first three months when such evidence was wanting for the remaining 45 months — when the Clinton email system experienced such common tech issues as no connectivity, bad firewalls, phishing and power failures — was low at best.

The New York Times

Its report says scientific evidence on repressive drug policies is wanting.

The Guardian

A small subclade of proteobacteria has one sortase-related enzyme, which does not fall into any of the five posibacterial sortase paralogue classes, plus a few proteins with a putative sortase recognition motif; it may be a very divergent sortase, but biochemical evidence for such a role is wanting [ 71].

Biology Direct

It is evidence, not sincerity, that is wanted here.

The New York Times - Magazine

They rely on the hope that in such a murky field the evidence is always wanting.

The Economist

Thus, although task shifting seemingly provides a short-term solution to supply shortages and work reorganisation, evidence is still wanting on its effects on overburdened health workers' productivity levels and competence to deliver services safely.

Conflict and Health

It is unlikely that he will play, despite the probability of a faster surface, but it is clear evidence that he will be wanted in Australia this winter.

Independent

"The evidence is clear: fathers want to be more engaged.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "evidence is wanting" in formal writing when you want to subtly suggest a deficiency in evidence without being overly critical or accusatory. It is particularly useful in academic or legal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "evidence is wanting" in informal settings or conversations, as it may sound overly stilted or pretentious. Opt for simpler alternatives like "there's not enough evidence" or "the evidence is lacking".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "evidence is wanting" functions as a statement indicating the absence or insufficiency of evidence to support a claim or hypothesis. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct. It is often used in formal or academic contexts to express a lack of proof.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "evidence is wanting" is a grammatically sound way to express a lack of sufficient evidence. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English, predominantly in formal contexts. While alternatives like "evidence is lacking" are more common, "evidence is wanting" offers a subtle and sophisticated way to highlight deficiencies in proof. The phrase is most frequently found in News & Media, Science and Academia contexts. Using it effectively involves considering the formality of the setting to ensure appropriateness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

evidence is lacking

Replaces "wanting" with "lacking", a more common synonym, maintaining the same grammatical structure and meaning.

evidence is insufficient

Substitutes "wanting" with "insufficient", emphasizing that the evidence is not enough.

there is a lack of evidence

Restructures the sentence to focus on the absence of evidence, using a more explicit construction.

evidence is missing

Uses "missing" to indicate that the evidence is not present, suggesting it may be expected but absent.

evidence is absent

Replaces "wanting" with "absent", indicating a complete lack of evidence.

evidence is unavailable

Suggests that the evidence exists but cannot be accessed or obtained.

there is no evidence

A direct statement indicating the complete absence of evidence.

evidence is scant

Emphasizes the limited amount of evidence available.

the evidence is weak

Focuses on the quality of the evidence, rather than its mere presence or absence.

the proof is lacking

Uses the word "proof" instead of evidence, and replaces wanting with lacking.

FAQs

How can I use "evidence is wanting" in a sentence?

You can use "evidence is wanting" to indicate a lack of sufficient evidence to support a claim. For example: "So far, "evidence is wanting" to prove this theory."

What can I say instead of "evidence is wanting"?

Alternatives include "evidence is lacking", "evidence is insufficient", or "there is a lack of evidence" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "evidence is wanting" or "evidence is lacking"?

Both "evidence is wanting" and "evidence is lacking" are grammatically correct, but "evidence is lacking" is more commonly used in contemporary English.

What's the difference between "evidence is wanting" and "evidence is absent"?

"Evidence is wanting" suggests a deficiency or lack of expected evidence, while "evidence is absent" implies a complete absence of any evidence whatsoever.