“Benefit of the Doubt” Meaning, Origin and Examples

Last updated on October 10, 2024 by Liam Daniel

You are likely to hear the term benefit of the doubt many times when listening to English conversation, but what does this saying mean? We are going to be taking a look at the meaning of this term as well as finding out where it first came from. We will also see some examples of how the term works in order to further understand how it works.

Benefit of the Doubt Meaning, Origin and Usage

Key Takeaways

  • “Benefit of the doubt” means trusting or believing someone, even when you’re unsure or have doubts about their explanation or behavior.
Benefit of the Doubt Meaning
Benefit of the Doubt Meaning – Created by 7ESL

Benefit of the Doubt Meaning

The phrase “benefit of the doubt” means choosing to believe someone’s explanation or assume their intentions are good, even if there is uncertainty or doubt. It reflects a decision to trust or give someone the advantage in a situation where things are unclear or could be interpreted negatively.

Origin of this Term

The term benefit of the doubt can be dated back to the late 1700’s and is a reference to the legal term reasonable doubt.

Usage of “Benefit of the Doubt”

  1. In a personal situation:
    “Even though his explanation sounded a bit strange, I gave him the benefit of the doubt because he’s always been honest before.”
  2. In a professional context:
    “The manager decided to give the new employee the benefit of the doubt after she was late to the meeting, assuming it was a one-time mistake.”
  3. In everyday conversation:
    “I wasn’t sure if she really forgot to call, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt since she looked genuinely sorry.”

It’s commonly used when choosing to believe or trust someone despite uncertainty or incomplete information.

Related Terms to “Benefit of the Doubt”

  • Trust – having confidence in someone’s honesty or reliability.
  • Give someone a chance – allowing someone the opportunity to prove themselves.
  • Assume the best – believing the best about someone’s intentions.
  • Second chance – giving someone another opportunity to make things right.
  • Extend grace – showing understanding or forgiveness despite uncertainty.
  • Presume innocence – assuming someone is innocent unless proven guilty.
  • Let it slide – choosing not to criticize or punish someone for a small mistake.
  • Take someone at their word – believing what someone says without requiring proof.
  • Give the benefit of the doubt – the exact term, used in different contexts.
  • Forgive and forget – choosing to move on from a mistake without holding a grudge.

Other Ways to Say the Idiom

You are able to reference the term benefit of the doubt by using other wording.

Let’s have a look at some examples of other things you might say in its place.

  • Reasonable doubt
  • Give them a chance
  • In case of doubt

“Benefit of the Doubt” Examples

Example Sentences

We will now take a look at some examples of how the term benefit of the doubt can be used within a sentence.

The first statement is being made in a news report.

  • Police decided to give the lady the benefit of the doubt since there was no evidence and she had never been involved with a crime in the past.

The next sentence is being said by a mother.

  • I’m not too keen on my son’s new partner but I will give her the benefit of the doubt.

Other examples:

  • The referee gave him the benefit of the doubt.
  • I didn’t know whether his story was true or not, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
  • We went easy on Baker and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
  • Something didn’t seem quite right, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
  • She claimed she wasn’t trying to commit suicide, and doctors gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Conversation Examples

There are a variety of conversations in which the term benefit of the doubt might appear, we are now going to take a look at some examples of this.

The first conversation is taking place between two friends.

  • Person 1: “I do not trust Sandy, she keeps acting very strange.”
  • Person 2: “Yes, but you’ve no proof that she is up to no good.”
  • Person 1: ” I guess I’ll have to give her the benefit of the doubt then.”

The next conversation is happening between two co-workers.

  • Person 1: “The new guy claims to have done this job before but I don’t think he has.”
  • Person 2: “We will have to give the benefit of the doubt until he messes up.”
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