Which statement correctly distinguishes unfounded from unsubstantiated?

• A. Unfounded means false or baseless; unsubstantiated means not enough evidence to determine truth.
• B. Unfounded means lack of evidence; unsubstantiated means evidence shows truth.
• C. They are interchangeable terms.
• D. Unfounded is a legal term; unsubstantiated is not.

Answer: (A)

Understanding how evidence relates to a claim is the key idea. Unfounded means the evidence shows the claim is false or has no credible basis—the facts available contradict it or fail to support it. Unsubstantiated means there isn’t enough evidence to decide truth one way or the other—the information at hand does not prove the claim, but it doesn’t prove it false either.

So, the best way to distinguish them is: unfounded = false or baseless given the evidence; unsubstantiated = not enough evidence to determine truth. The other ideas don’t fit because they mix up the role of evidence (suggesting lack of evidence equals unfounded, or that evidence proves truth) or claim that the terms are interchangeable.