prove

verb

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\ ˈprüv

proved; proved or proven\ ˈprü-vən

, British also ˈprō- \; proving\ ˈprü-viŋ

Definition of prove

transitive verb

1a : 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 proved herself a great actress the vaccine has been proven effective after years of tests

2 : to show (oneself) to be worthy or capable eager to prove myself in the new job

3a : 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)

4 archaic : to learn or find out by experience

intransitive verb

: to turn out especially after trial or test the new drug proved effective

Other Words from prove Synonyms & Antonyms proved or proven?: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about prove

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proved or proven?: Usage Guide

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 on the Web Because the Fore had minimal contact with Westerners and mass media, Ekman had theorized that their recognition and display of core expressions would prove that such expressions were universal. — Kate Crawford, The Atlantic, "Why We Shouldn’t Trust AI to Tell Us What We Feel," 27 Apr. 2021 The next 10 games will determine whether the Heat can take a pre-playoff exhale, or whether this treadmill of competition that began last summer in the NBA’s quarantine bubble at Disney World will prove unrelenting. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, "Heat view upcoming final 10 games ‘like our playoff lives depended on ‘em’," 27 Apr. 2021 Our informed view is that the conservative wing has feared that former Justice Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts might prove unreliable on the question. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Gun Rights Return to the Supreme Court," 26 Apr. 2021 In the hard-to-prove world of hate crimes, the initial facts seemed remarkably clear-cut. — Washington Post, "An Asian man said a firefighter attacked him. It sparked a reckoning in small-town Arkansas.," 26 Apr. 2021 Armed with a preternatural beauty and sense of herself, Symone continued to raise the bar on the runway (the du-rag train, the boxer getup, the beads) and prove her talents as a performer in the commercial and acting challenges. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, "Drag Race Winner Symone on What Season 13 Taught Her About Perfection," 26 Apr. 2021 Gorgeously shot and meticulously choreographed, these two-plus minutes prove Spielberg has created a true piece of art. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Watch the First Trailer for Steven Spielberg's West Side Story," 25 Apr. 2021 That's creating an early test for President Joe Biden, who has pledged to restore American leadership on the world stage and prove to wary nations that the U.S. is a reliable partner after years of retrenchment during the Trump administration. — BostonGlobe.com, "As US moves from scarcity to abundance of COVID-19 vaccine, other nations are calling for help," 24 Apr. 2021 When they are actually required, the criteria used to identify high-risk people prove inadequate to keeping guns out of their hands. — Jooyoung Lee, CNN, "What we can learn from Canada on gun control," 24 Apr. 2021

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.