Serving to test, prove, or show evidence of something; having the power to demonstrate the truth or falsity of something in court or investigation.
From Latin 'probativus,' derived from 'probare' (to test, approve, prove). The root 'prob-' means to test or examine, which is also where 'probe' and 'problem' come from.
In law, probative evidence is the evidence that actually matters—DNA, fingerprints, confessions—while other evidence might be interesting but legally 'irrelevant,' which is why clever defense lawyers spend trials arguing about what judges will let jurors hear.
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