corroborate

1 of 2

verb

cor·​rob·​o·​rate kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrāt 

corroborated; corroborating

transitive verb

: to support or help prove with evidence or authority : make more certain

Did the witnesses corroborate the story?

The documents … corroborate this sequence of events.

—Jennifer Bjorhus

corroboration

kə-ˌrä-bə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

corroborative

kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tiv 

-ˈrä-b(ə-)rə-

adjective

corroborator

kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tər 

noun

corroboratory

kə-ˈrä-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

corroborator

2 of 2

noun

cor·​rob·​o·​ra·​tor kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tər 

plural -s

: one that corroborates

Synonyms of corroborate

Verb

• confirm
• verify
• argue

Choose the Right Synonym for corroborate

confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth or validity of something.

confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

Examples of corroborate in a Sentence

Verb

Studies that are wrong will be superseded by better studies with different results. Studies that are right will be corroborated by other good studies. —Harriet Hall, Skeptic, 2007

Evidence like this is rarely conclusive, but it can help police corroborate testimony … —David Fisher, Hard Evidence, 1995

… the great Dr. Woodruff … corroborated my doctor's belief that my two infections had been resolved … —James Thurber 7 Mar. 1946, in Selected Letters Of James Thurber,  (1980) 1981

the witnesses corroborated the policeman's testimony

my personal experience does not corroborate your faith in the essential goodness of people

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The video, first published by MacRumors, corroborated prior reporting from Bloomberg that the AirPods will rely on Visual Intelligence, an Apple feature that uses cameras to analyze and take action on items in the real world. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Prosecutors said Tenon’s cooperation corroborated evidence that Fernandez Saldana helped plan and execute Bridegan’s killing. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

The lawyer questioned why investigators failed to conduct follow-up interviews to try to corroborate what Davis told them. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2026

The board did not interview any witnesses or introduce records that could corroborate Orndorff’s account. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare, from com- + robor-, robur strength

First Known Use

Verb

1529, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for corroborate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

corroborate

verb

cor·​rob·​o·​rate kə-ˈräb-ə-ˌrāt 

corroborated; corroborating

: to support with evidence or authority

corroborated my brother's story

corroboration

-ˌräb-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

corroborative

-ˈräb-ə-ˌrāt-iv 

-ˈräb-(ə-)rət-iv

adjective

corroborator

-ˈräb-ə-ˌrāt-ər 

noun

corroboratory

-ˈräb-(ə-)-rə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Legal Definition

corroborate

transitive verb

cor·​rob·​o·​rate kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrāt 

corroborated; corroborating

: to support with evidence or authority : strengthen or make more certain

corroboration

kə-ˌrä-bə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

corroborative

kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tiv, -rə-tiv 

adjective

Etymology

Transitive verb

Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare to strengthen, from com-, prefix marking completion + robur strength, literally, oak tree