disprove
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have disprovedperfect
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has disprovedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been disprovingperfect progressive
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has been disprovingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am disprovingprogressive 1st person singular
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is disprovingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are disprovingprogressive
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disprovingparticiple
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disprovessingular 3rd person
Past
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had disprovedperfect
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disprovedsimple
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was disprovingprogressive singular
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had been disprovingperfect progressive
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disprovedparticiple
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were disprovingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of disprove
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French desprover, equivalent to des- dis- 1 ( def. ) + prover prove
Explanation
When you disprove something, you argue against it or give evidence that it's not true. A student falsely accused of cheating on a test will work hard to disprove it. Even though it took years to be acknowledged, Galileo's theory that the planets revolve around the sun managed eventually to disprove previous ideas that the Earth was at the center of the universe. If your friends think your family is ridiculously wealthy, you can disprove this idea by showing them the tiny house you live in and the beat up old car your dad drives. The Old French source of disprove is desprover, "refute or contradict."
Vocabulary lists containing disprove
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.
Braun argued that the portrayal of his client drinking and racing wasn’t supported by the facts and that there was no evidence to disprove his client’s testimony that he was traveling at 55 mph.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
The river levels through Kingsland haven't reached the same heights since the damage was done, so it's not possible to prove or disprove his view.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
“We see this cyclical caution from investors as prudent given past memory bust cycles, and acknowledge that the bear case is difficult to disprove in the near-term,” Weathers writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
He added that software companies right now have no way to disprove the thesis of disruption because that thesis is that the disruption will come in a few years, rather than now.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
And as there was no way to disprove these rumors they grew marvelous and very real.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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.
