証拠

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 証拠（しょうこ） is a noun for material or traces that support a fact or claim.
• Basic usage: It appears when assessing what counts as evidence or presenting evidence in support of a claim.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Compared with grounds for a judgment
  • 根拠 broadly covers the reasons or basis for a judgment. 証拠 focuses on material or traces supporting a fact.
• Identifying what the evidence supports
  • The first example links the observed water drops to someone having visited. In the second, うわさだけでは limits the claim: rumor alone does not provide sufficient support.