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Reader question: Please explain this sentence: “I didn't believe him but I still gave him the benefit of the doubt.” What does “benefit of the doubt” mean exactly? My comments: Okay, let's see. Let's say “he” did something or said something that got the speaker upset or angry. Then he tried to explain the situation by making excuses or giving alibis, whatever. The speaker didn't fully believe him, but the speaker, a he or she, didn't have anything else to prove whether what he said is true or not. So the speaker “gave him the benefit of the doubt” and let it go. In other words, she chose to forgive him – for now. Later on, should she be able to find out from other sources that what “he” said was not true, she could be upset or angry with him again, more upset and angry perhaps, but for the moment, she chose to let it go. He got the “benefit” of not receiving her wrath or other punishments. The speaker gave him the so-called benefit, or favorable treatment because of doubt, or uncertainty involved in the situation. The other thing I draw from this particular example is that the speaker is a reasonable and fair-minded person. He or she has a fair spirit. They're kind at heart because they choose to treat the speaker kindly rather than harshly while they're being doubtful of their situation either way. Anyways, that is the approach a judge in court often takes when they don't have clear and irrefutable evidence that a crime is committed. If no such clear evidence is produced to prove an accused person of wrongdoing and in a way, as they say, beyond a reasonable doubt, the judge may give an innocent rather than guilty verdict. | 
