corroborate
Americanverb (used with object)
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corroborates,
present (3rd person singular)
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corroborated,
past participle, past
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corroborating
present participle
adjective
verb
adjective
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serving to corroborate a fact, an opinion, etc
-
(of a fact) corroborated
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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corroborationnoun
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corroboratornoun
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corroborativeadjective
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corroboratoryadjective
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noncorroboratingadjective
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noncorroborativeadjective
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noncorroboratoryadjective
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uncorroboratedadjective
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uncorroborativeadjective
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uncorroboratoryadjective
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corroborativelyadverb
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corroboratorilyadverb
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noncorroborativelyadverb
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uncorroborativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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corroboratesimple
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corroboratessimple
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have corroboratedperfect
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has corroboratedperfect
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am corroboratingprogressive
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are corroboratingprogressive
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is corroboratingprogressive
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have been corroboratingperfect progressive
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has been corroboratingperfect progressive
Past
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corroboratedsimple
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had corroboratedperfect
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was corroboratingprogressive
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were corroboratingprogressive
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had been corroboratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of corroborate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin corrōborātus, past participle of corrōborāre “to strengthen,” equivalent to cor- “with, together” + rōbor(āre) “to make strong” (derivative of rōbor, rōbur “oak” hence, “strength”) + -ātus past participle suffix; see cor-, robust, -ate 1
Compare meaning
How does corroborate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
To corroborate is to back someone else’s story. If you swear to your teacher that you didn't throw the spitball, and your friends corroborate your story by promising that you were concentrating on math homework, she might actually believe you. For example, a witness in court corroborates the testimony of others, and further experimentation can corroborate a scientific theory. Near synonyms are substantiate and confirm. Corroborate, originally meaning "to support or strengthen," was borrowed from Latin corrōborāre, formed from the prefix cor- "completely" plus rōborāre "to strengthen" (from rōbur "strength").
Vocabulary lists containing corroborate
The Crucible
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Grade 10, List 3
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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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.
See Examples For:
Not only can their arrival time suggest that they dwelt with other particles for a negative amount of time, but if one asks those other particles, they will corroborate the story.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Senussi Files seem to corroborate several details first mentioned in the cables, including the presence of semtex at Luqa Airport in Malta.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The CPI estimate of legal costs had becoming increasingly “erratic” since it was last made publicly available in 2024, the BEA said, and the agency was unable to corroborate its findings via other sources.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The bank spent months on the review but lacked specifics to corroborate allegations in the complaint, one person familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
Then for the first time he stated that he was not involved, and asked one of the other boys to corroborate his testimony.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
"An eyewitness account of about 20 'geese' taking flight and heading toward the river just minutes before a loud bang was heard corroborates geese in the area shortly before the crash."
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Treasury yields fell as a slew of data corroborates U.S. inflation concerns while giving mixed signals about economic activity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
A police investigation included the review of “video surveillance footage that corroborates key elements of the victim’s statement,” Jeanty said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
But for Dyne, Matteis believes the deal for Avidity is “highly validating,” as it corroborates the expected value of muscle-delivery technology and the attractiveness of the markets for even rare diseases like DMD.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2025
“It corroborates what Marietta and I found out earlier,” Louis said.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
OSC said it corroborated information from the hack with customs records, court filings and other sources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Prosecutors argued its highly-detailed contents could be corroborated to an extent unlikely with a fabricated confession.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
For months, lawmakers inspecting the facility have corroborated reports of inhumane conditions and called for immediate intervention.
From Slate ● May 29, 2026
Urbina shared documents that detail how she was lured into the scam, and ProPublica corroborated her story with her husband and Catholic Charities.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
In 2012, several further studies corroborated these initial findings, strengthening the links between these variants of mental illness and family histories and deepening questions about their etiology, epidemiology, triggers, and instigators.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
In time, more evidence may come to light either corroborating or disproving the allegations, but right now, we’re pulling on some pretty thin threads.
From Slate ● Feb. 27, 2026
Find corroborating information from an official or trusted source, including the people who run the places or channels where that Extremely Exciting/Enraging/Exclusive event is supposedly taking place.
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2026
He said the paper had produced "no contemporaneous record or corroborating evidence to support these disputed recollections from nearly 50 years ago".
From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025
The department claimed to have found corroborating evidence, but did not elaborate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2025
The FBI holds a press conference at the site, corroborating hearsay that a passport found at the crater belonged to Kamal Aziz, an Egyptian national.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
