1. Oral or written information presented in a definite and formal manner: The mayor's statement presented in the newspaper was exactly the opposite of what he promised to accomplish during his term in office.
2. The official account regarding an occurrence that a witness gives to the police: Mrs. Hathaway had to go to the law enforcement agency to make her statement or account regarding the accident she had seen.
3. A written document from a bank showing a list of fees and charges: Jack received a statement from his financial institution the previous week and was happy that he still had money left to spend for Christmas presents!
4. The musical idea or motive within a composition: The sonata Mildred was practicing had a very intricate statement as the theme and she had to practice many hours to get it perfect.
5. An expression of belief that is made by an appearance or behavior: The very old and majestic grandfather clock that Nancy has in her living room certainly makes a statement about comfort and long-lasting values that somehow are hard to find in the present day.

A statement or other evidence that tends to justify, excuse, or clear a defendant from an alleged fault or guilt.