unproven
adjective
un·prov·en
ˌən-ˈprü-vən 
British also -ˈprō-
: not tested and shown to be good, true, or useful : not proven
an unproven allegation/theory
unproven benefits
unproven technology
Examples of unproven in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The agency wouldn't be comfortable putting a billion-dollar Mars mission on any unproven rocket.
—
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023
But Johnson is relatively unproven as a fundraiser, and McCarthy, who pulled in more than $500 million last election cycle, rose to the top of his party in part because of his ability to rake in dough.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Nine of the top 10 accounts were known anti-vaccine proponents, several of whom promoted unproven and potentially harmful treatments and attacked top public health officials.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
The groups argued, and Liman agreed, that the Wildlife Service had relied too much on unproven restoration and re-population efforts to determine that the giant salamander was not in danger of extinction.
—Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023
That failure has been particularly consequential during the Israel-Gaza war, when Twitter was central to disseminating unproven narratives, such as who blew up a hospital in Gaza.
—Jeremy B. Merrill, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
Their reliance upon a stable of unproven or aging pitchers backfired as well.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023
But the 6th Circuit panel sided with proponents of gender-affirming care bans who say the treatments are unproven and risk permanently harming children.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night kick off their quest to become the first repeat champions in nearly two decades, and their biggest obstacle isn’t an unproven receiving corps or a star tight end with a bum knee.
—Andrew Beaton, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2023
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Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023
But Johnson is relatively unproven as a fundraiser, and McCarthy, who pulled in more than $500 million last election cycle, rose to the top of his party in part because of his ability to rake in dough.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Nine of the top 10 accounts were known anti-vaccine proponents, several of whom promoted unproven and potentially harmful treatments and attacked top public health officials.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
The groups argued, and Liman agreed, that the Wildlife Service had relied too much on unproven restoration and re-population efforts to determine that the giant salamander was not in danger of extinction.
—Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023
That failure has been particularly consequential during the Israel-Gaza war, when Twitter was central to disseminating unproven narratives, such as who blew up a hospital in Gaza.
—Jeremy B. Merrill, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
Their reliance upon a stable of unproven or aging pitchers backfired as well.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023
But the 6th Circuit panel sided with proponents of gender-affirming care bans who say the treatments are unproven and risk permanently harming children.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night kick off their quest to become the first repeat champions in nearly two decades, and their biggest obstacle isn’t an unproven receiving corps or a star tight end with a bum knee.
—Andrew Beaton, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unproven.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1563, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unproven
Cite this Entry
“Unproven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unproven. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Legal Definition
unproven
adjective
un·prov·en
ˌən-ˈprü-vən
: not proven
an unproven allegation
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