---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the absence of evidence is not evidence…"
description: "\"“the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’.”\" — Gordon Corera"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/gordon-corera-240362_absence_the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence_97640.jpg"
---

#  the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’.

![“the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’.” quote by Gordon Corera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/gordon-corera-240362_absence_the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence_97640.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/gordon-corera-240362_absence_the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence_97640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/gordon-corera-240362_absence_the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence_97640.jpg)

> ““the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’.””

[Gordon Corera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-corera/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Lack of evidence does not prove nonexistence; absence should not be taken as proof of absence.

**In simple terms:** No proof isn’t proof of none.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions about missing evidence.

Themes

skepticism critical thinking philosophy

Mood

inquisitive cautious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- science
- investigation
- debate
- research

Key Concepts

epistemology logic uncertainty

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence would change your view?
- How do you handle unknowns?

A Different Perspective

Absence may be due to limited observation, not nonexistence.

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[Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Absence Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence-evidence-511578/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Evidence Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence-absence-511575/) [Evidence Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence-evidence-763101/)

## Related quotes

> [The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-the-evidence-of-absence/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence-of-absence/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“But absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-chang/but-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence-of-absence/)

[Gordon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-chang/)

> [“agree, I have no evidence, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/agree-i-have-no-evidence-but-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence-of/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [“After all, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-walker/after-all-absence-of-evidence-is-not-evidence-of-absence/)

[Matthew Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-walker/)

> [The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence,,simply becouse you dont have evidence that something does exist,,does not mean that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boondox/the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-the-evidence-of-absence-simply-becouse/)

[Boondox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boondox/)

> [Since when does absence of evidence equate to evidence of absence?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-ea/since-when-does-absence-of-evidence-equate-to-evidence-of-absence/)

[Prince Ea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-ea/)

> [ Until recent times, absence of evidence for his \[Jehovah's\] existence has not been sufficient to rule him out. However, we now have enough knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-stenger/until-recent-times-absence-of-evidence-for-his-jehovah-s-existence/)

[Victor J. Stenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-stenger/)

> [“Such elusive puzzles recall the historian's basic dilemma: the absence of evidence does not always signify evidence of absence. In the end, we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-markel/such-elusive-puzzles-recall-the-historian-s-basic-dilemma-the-absence/)

[Howard Markel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-markel/)

> [The absence of evidence is not necessarily the evidence of absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-absence-of-evidence-is-not-necessarily-the-evidence-of-absence/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [There's another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. It is basically saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-s-another-way-to-phrase-that-and-that-is-that-the-absence-of/)

[Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/)

> [Even if the absence of evidence for a given god were not evidence of its absence, it would still be evidence that the belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-clifton/even-if-the-absence-of-evidence-for-a-given-god-were-not-evidence-of/)

[Scott Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-clifton/)

> [“If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-someone-doesn-t-value-evidence-what-evidence-are-you-going-to-2/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [Circumstantial evidence is evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-goldberg/circumstantial-evidence-is-evidence/)

[Bernard Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-goldberg/)

> [If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide that proves they should value evidence. If someone doesn’t value logic, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-someone-doesn-t-value-evidence-what-evidence-are-you-going-to/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

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> [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/)

[William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/)

> [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/)

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> [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/)

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[Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/)

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