What Does “Giving The Benefit Of The Doubt” Mean?

There are a lot of phrases in the English language that symbolize different things – things that you shouldn’t take literally. Knowing what these phrases mean and when you should take them literally is an important part of communicating in the English language.

When someone asks you to give them the “benefit of the doubt” what is it that they’re really asking you for? Essentially they’re requesting that you give them your trust even though you may have your doubts about doing so. This is a phrase that originated in 1792 and can be taken literally.

Meaning of the Phrase

When you “give someone the benefit of the doubt” you’re deciding to believe that they have honest intentions. You’re also choosing to assume that they don’t want to harm you even though the circumstances may have raised some uncertainty or doubt in your mind.

The Legal Doctrine

There’s a legal doctrine in America that “gives the benefit of the doubt.” It’s used when someone says something to you or otherwise makes a statement that suggests they know they’ve done something wrong. They remain innocent until compelling evidence is presented. This is like giving someone a rain check for a period of time until the evidence can be presented. In other words, the person is “innocent until proven guilty.” So while “erring on the side of caution” in order not to jump to the wrong conclusion this doesn’t exonerate them if they are in fact proven guilty later on.

An example of this may be a person telling the courts something which they can’t determine whether it’s true or false. For the sake of fairness the court would then need to withhold judgment. This is something that is important to do in any case that involves hearsay, sketchy claims, or questionable representation by someone who may not like the person who’s accused of the crime. This uncertainty or doubt about whether someone is being honest or the information is accurate lies at the heart of the notion of “giving someone the benefit of the doubt.”

It’s important to “give the benefit of the doubt” in a courtroom because there are only rare cases in which there’s evidence available that can neither be disputed nor denied. Ultimately a lot of outcomes rely on a person being both credible and accurate in telling “their version of the facts.” Eventually the truth will come out in regards to claims that may sound outlandish or unbelievable but this will take time.

Another way in which you can think of this is like someone tossing a coin. Until the coin stops spinning and lands on either head or tail you’re just guessing what it will be. So, if you’re saying you’re giving someone “the benefit of the doubt” it’s like saying you’ll agree with their choice until facts are established to either prove or disprove it. By choosing to defer validation of their position on the matter at hand you’re not reaching a conclusion in haste. Instead you’re giving the person the “benefit of the doubt.”

Since there are at least two sides to every issue (or coin) it’s only fair to “avoid jumping to a conclusion.” Of course, this is also a matter of common sense because you also want to understand any “extenuating circumstances” or valid arguments so that you’re certain you’re using common sense.

Synonyms

There are a lot of different ways in which you can tell someone that you’re giving them the “benefit of the doubt.” Some of the words you may choose to use here include:

• bank on
• count on
• depend on
• hinge on
• lean on
• live off
• rely on
• ride on
• trust
• turn on

Antonyms

We use “benefit of the doubt” to mean that we’re giving someone the advantage or benefit of our belief in them when the situation seems unlikely. The closest idiom that would mean the exact opposite of “giving the benefit of the doubt” would probably be “to assume the worst.”

Origin of the Phrase

Unfortunately, nobody knows for certain where this phrase first originated. Some people believe that it’s related to another phrase that’s used in the legal field: “Reasonable doubt” means someone remains innocent even though it can be proven that they’re guilty. If this is the case, then this phrase can be traced back to the Irish treason trials that happened in 1798. While there’s written evidence of it being used here some people argue that it’s a phrase that was repeated after being used in the Boston Massacre Trials of 1770. Unfortunately, there isn’t any written evidence of this though.

Another place where this phrase may have originated from is the Irish legal system but there’s no evidence of this. Regardless of where it originated, in the 1800s we see the first use of this phrase’s contemporary wording appear. We can also see that it’s evolved throughout the course of time (something that’s actually quite common for idioms to do) until it comes to us as it does today.

How to Use the Phrase

This is a phrase that can be used in a multitude of different ways and a variety of different situations. Therefore since it’s so common most people have heard this phrase at some point in their life. It’s one that can be used both professionally and casually. For instance, two friends might use the phrase while discussing something that’s happened to them or a coworker may use this phrase when describing another co-worker’s actions. These are just a few of the many ways in which you can work this phrase into your conversation.

“The Benefit of the Doubt” vs “The Benefit of Doubt”

It’s important to also understand that “the benefit of the doubt” and “the benefit of doubt” mean two entirely different things. “The benefit of doubt” means that there are advantages to the fact that you’re doubting something. For instance some having “the benefit of doubt” is advantageous because it keeps you from becoming the victim of a con man.

On the other hand, when you give someone “the benefit of the doubt” the emphasis is on “the doubt.” In other words, you’re not sure if you really should be giving someone benefit in this way.

Use in Pop Culture

There are a lot of different places throughout pop culture where it’s been popular to use the phrase “giving the benefit of the doubt.” Some of the ones from the most recent years that you may have heard of include:

• On Oct 25, 2018 Pebbles recorded the song “Giving The Benefit Of The Doubt.” Another artist who’s also recorded a song by this name is Kosh (April 11, 2019).
• On July 16, 1993 the movie “Benefit of the Doubt” by Michael Lieber and Jeffrey Polman was released. Other movies by this same name were also released on  November 15, 2011 (featuring Donald Sutherland) and on May 20, 2012 Tom Selleck also starred in a movie by this same name.
• On September 15, 2013 Gregory A. Boyd released a book entitled “Benefit of the Doubt.” Several other authors followed in his footsteps including Forge Books (May 12, 2015) and Neal Griffin (December 29, 2015).

These are just a few examples of the many titles that used the phrase “benefit of the doubt” over the years.

Example Sentences

Once you feel like you have a better understanding of the meaning behind this phrase you may want to start using it yourself. Here are some sentence examples to help you get started:

• She told me that the reason why she was late was that her flight had been cancelled. I gave her the benefit of the doubt until she can be vindicated.
• Although John didn’t repay me the money I’m owed I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he isn’t trying to take advantage of me.
• Since I don’t know what happened I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.
• I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you’re right.
• I believe he stole from me but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until I can prove otherwise.
• Although she said she’d be on time I really doubt that it’ll happen but I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt anyway.
• Peter denies breaking the window so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until I can get the security video.
• I think he believes the benefit of the doubt until the verdict comes in.
• You do a better job of giving him the benefit of the doubt than I do.
• He could be lying but we gave him the benefit of the doubt until he can be vindicated.

Conclusion

When you’re giving someone the “benefit of the doubt” you’re trusting that they’re telling you the truth even though you have strong reasons why you shouldn’t. By using this expression you’re able to elevate your English to a whole new level. Make sure that you use it correctly so that you sound like a native English speaker.