reasonable grounds for holding a belief, esp such as will justify bringing legal proceedings against a person or will constitute a defence to a charge of malicious prosecution
probable cause in American English
Law
reasonable grounds for presuming guilt in someone charged with a crime
Examples of 'probable cause' in a sentence
probable cause
Not on the sly or any other way unless you got something that can stretch to probable cause.
Wood, Bari DOLL'S EYES (1994)
"'I have to be frank: as of now, we don't have probable cause to arrest Gascoign for street-loitering.
Trenhalle, John A MEANS TO EVIL (1994)
"'Well, the legal language says it's a hearing for probable cause.