prove
Americanverb (used with object)
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to establish the truth or genuineness of, as by evidence or argument.
to prove one's claim.
- Synonyms:
- verify, substantiate, confirm, demonstrate
- Antonyms:
- disprove
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Law. to establish the authenticity or validity of (a will); probate.
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to give demonstration of by action.
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to subject to a test, experiment, comparison, analysis, or the like, to determine quality, amount, acceptability, characteristics, etc..
to prove ore.
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to show (oneself ) to have the character or ability expected of one, especially through one's actions.
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Mathematics. to verify the correctness or validity of by mathematical demonstration or arithmetical proof.
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Printing. Also to take a trial impression of (type, a cut, etc.).
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to cause (dough) to rise to the necessary lightness.
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Archaic. to experience.
verb (used without object)
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to turn out.
The experiment proved to be successful.
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to be found by trial or experience to be.
His story proved false.
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(of dough) to rise to a specified lightness.
Leave covered until it has proved.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to establish or demonstrate the truth or validity of; verify, esp by using an established sequence of procedures or statements
-
to establish the quality of, esp by experiment or scientific analysis
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law to establish the validity and genuineness of (a will)
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to show (oneself) able or courageous
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(copula) to be found or shown (to be)
this has proved useless
he proved to be invaluable
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printing to take a trial impression of (type, etc)
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(intr) (of dough) to rise in a warm place before baking
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archaic to undergo
Usage
Either proved or proven is standard as the past participle of prove : Events have proved (or proven ) him wrong. As a modifier, proven is by far the more common: a proven fact.
Other Word Forms
- half-proved adjective
- half-proven adjective
- nonprovable adjective
- overprove verb (used with object)
- preprove verb (used with object)
- provability noun
- provable adjective
- provableness noun
- provably adverb
- provenly adverb
- prover noun
- self-proving adjective
- semiproven adjective
- unprovable adjective
- unproved adjective
- unproven adjective
- unproving adjective
- well-proved adjective
- well-proven adjective
Etymology
Origin of prove
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English proven, from Old French prover, from Latin probāre “to try, test, prove, approve,” derivative of probus “good.” See probity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Venezuela was once a major crude supplier to the United States, and has the world's largest proven reserves with more than 303 billion barrels, according to global oil cartel OPEC.
From Barron's
Over her five decades in showbiz, Miss Piggy has proven to be more durable than the projects in which she stars.
From Salon
He has not proven that he can do that, so it’s time for a second opinion.
From MarketWatch
It proved decisive as Lewis Martin's late try for Hull set up a tense finale, but York stood firm in their final defensive set and climb to third in the early season standings.
From BBC
Breathless pronouncements that things have changed irredeemably and it's now multi-party politics forever have been made and proven wrong before.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
