prove

play

verb \ ˈprüv \

Definition of prove

proved; proved or proven play \ˈprü-vən, British also ˈprō-\; proving play \ˈprü-viŋ\

transitive verb

1 archaic :to learn or find out by experience

2 a :to test the truth, validity, or genuineness of

the exception proves the rule

prove a will at probate

b :to test the worth or quality of; specifically :to compare against a standard —sometimes used with up or out

c :to check the correctness of (something, such as an arithmetic result)

3 a :to establish the existence, truth, or validity of (as by evidence or logic)

prove a theorem

the charges were never proved in court

b :to demonstrate as having a particular quality or worth

the vaccine has been proven effective after years of tests

proved herself a great actress

4 :to show (oneself) to be worthy or capable

eager to prove myself in the new job

intransitive verb

:to turn out especially after trial or test

the new drug proved effective

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provable

play \ˈprü-və-bəl\ adjective

—

provableness

noun

—

provably

play \-blē\ adverb

—

prover

play \ˈprü-vər\ noun

See prove defined for English-language learners

See prove defined for kids

proved or proven?

The past participle proven, originally the past participle of preve, a Middle English variant of prove that survived in Scotland, has gradually worked its way into standard English over the past three and a half centuries. It seems to have first become established in legal use and to have come only slowly into literary use. Tennyson was one of its earliest frequent users, probably for metrical reasons. It was disapproved by 19th century grammarians, one of whom included it in a list of "words that are not words." Surveys made some 50 or 60 years ago indicated that proved was about four times as frequent as proven. But our evidence from the last 30 or 35 years shows this no longer to be the case. As a past participle proven is now about as frequent as proved in all contexts. As an attributive adjective

- proved or proven gas reserves

proven is much more common than proved.

Examples of prove in a Sentence

The charges against him were never proved in court.
The government failed to prove its case.
It could not be proven that the suspect stole the money.
A person who is charged with a crime is considered innocent until proved guilty.
mathematicians trying to prove a theorem
To prove her point, she got out the old research.
The tests proved the vaccine to be effective.
Her second album was a hit that proved her critics wrong.

Recent Examples of prove from the Web

But at least one major element of the original announcement has proven to be extremely misleading.

— michael hiltzik, chicagotribune.com, "Iowa's handout to Apple illustrates the folly of corporate welfare deals," 30 Aug. 2017
If Cutler proves even OK (or if Matt Moore takes over) the drop-off is not chance-killing extreme.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "See who’s No. 1 and where Dolphins land in our annual NFL Team Rankings," 30 Aug. 2017
But Stehney has nothing left to prove, because everybody already knows Joe’s.

— jill wendholt silva, kansascity, "Not your average Joe: Meet the man behind Joe’s Kansas City barbecue, Jeff Stehney," 30 Aug. 2017
Both before and after implementation of the federal health law, this market — serving people who don’t get coverage through work or the government — has proved problematic.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market," 30 Aug. 2017
To address worries that information was cherry-picked to prove a point against Exxon Mobil, researchers looked all the data available.

— the tylt, AL.com, "Should Exxon Mobil be held responsible for misleading the public about climate change?," 29 Aug. 2017
There's really no greater way to prove your love for your favorite product than by including it in your milestone moment — and capturing the whole thing on camera.

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Palette Stars in High School Student’s Yearbook Photo," 29 Aug. 2017
Nelson said the shooting was legally justified, and that the only crime of which Bodenbach was proven guilty was possession of cocaine.

— kristin rodine, idahostatesman, "Jury weighs claims of self-defense, premeditation in shooting death of Boise 20-year-old," 29 Aug. 2017
The block proved too heavy for the lab at the University of Utah, and in 2015 ended up on reinforced floors at the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point.

— asher elbein, New York Times, "Utah Paleontologists Turn to Crowdfunding for Raptor Project," 28 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prove.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of prove

Middle English, from Anglo-French prover, pruver, from Latin probare to test, prove, from probus good, honest, from pro- for, in favor + -bus (akin to Old English bēon to be) — more at pro-, be

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First Known Use: 13th century

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prove Synonyms

Synonyms

demonstrate, document, establish, substantiate, validate

Antonyms

disprove, rebut, refute

Related Words

back (up), buttress, circumstantiate, corroborate; evidence, evince, record, support, uphold, witness; adduce, attest, authenticate, certify, identify; confirm, sustain, verify, vouch; clinch, nail, settle; confess, depose, testify

Near Antonyms

challenge, dispute, object; allege, assume, conjecture, guess, presume, surmise, suspect

PROVE Defined for English Language Learners

prove

play

verb

Definition of prove for English Language Learners

: to show the existence, truth, or correctness of (something) by using evidence, logic, etc.
: to show that (someone or something) has a particular quality, ability, etc.
: to turn out to be

PROVE Defined for Kids

prove

play

verb \ ˈprüv \

Definition of prove for Students

proved; proved or proven \ˈprü-vən\; proving

1 :to show the truth or existence of something with facts

I can prove he's guilty.

2 :to turn out to be

The climb proved more difficult than they had expected.

3 :to check the correctness of

prove the math theory

4 :to test by experiment or by a standard Tests proved that the vaccine is effective.

Law Dictionary

prove

play

transitive verb \ ˈprüv \

legal Definition of prove

proved; proved or proven play \ˈprü-vən\; proving

1 :to test the truth, validity, or genuineness of

prove a will at probate

2 a :to establish the existence, truth, or validity of

the charges were never proved in court

b :to provide sufficient proof of or that

proved the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt

—

provable

play \ˈprü-və-bəl\ adjective

—

provableness

noun

—

provably

play \ˈprü-və-blē\ adverb

Learn More about prove

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Examples of prove in a Sentence

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PROVE Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of prove for English Language Learners

PROVE Defined for Kids

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Definition of prove for Students

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prove

legal Definition of prove

provable

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