Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
direct examination

direct examination

5 6.5
A lawyer asking questions of a witness they called before the other side asks questions
  • noun
  • /dəˈrɛkt ˌɛksəˈmɪneɪʃən/
  • Jargon
translation icon : interrogatorio directo
  • This statement was brought out... ...during the direct examination of Sergeant Durgo.
  • questions on direct examination

So that's just a textbook good example of a good direct examination in an employment case like this.

Examples

  • Colin Friendly opened the door to this line of questioning when he stated under direct examination that he would never hurt anybody.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • On direct examination by prosecutors, the doctor testified that he had written many scholarly articles on this exact subject.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Your Honour, the witness has testified on direct examination... ...that Mr. Sabich did not bring to his attention... ...information that he regarded as pertinent.

    Presumed Innocent (1990)

  • Since he is my witness, and this is for evidentiary purposes as opposed to the normal unbridled fishing expedition, my direct examination of him must conform to the rules of evidence.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • During the trial, the lawyer asked the witness various questions during direct examination to establish the facts of the case.

  • The judge allowed the defense attorney to conduct a thorough direct examination of the key witness.

  • In her direct examination, the witness provided crucial information that supported the prosecution's case.

Antonyms

cross-examination
  • Formal
10 7.6

The opposing lawyer questions a witness in court to test their story

Surface Forms

direct examination singular
direct examinations plural

Morphology

direct + examination

The words 'direct' (straight, immediate) and 'examination' (formal questioning) transparently combine to give the basic idea of a straightforward/formal questioning. However, the specific legal procedural sense — that it is the questioning by the party who called the witness and occurs before cross‑examination — is a specialized nuance not fully predictable from the literal constituents, so a B1 learner would likely need exposure to the legal usage.

Etymology

Direct examination comes from court practice: direct means from the side that calls the witness and examination means careful questioning. So direct examination is the first set of questions a lawyer asks their witness before the other side's 'cross-examination'.