Synonyms

prove

American

[proov] / pruv /

verb (used with object)

to establish the truth or genuineness of, as by evidence or argument.

to prove one's claim.

Synonyms:

verify, substantiate, confirm, demonstrate

Antonyms:

disprove
Law. to establish the authenticity or validity of (a will); probate.
to give demonstration of by action.
to subject to a test, experiment, comparison, analysis, or the like, to determine quality, amount, acceptability, characteristics, etc..

to prove ore.
to show (oneself ) to have the character or ability expected of one, especially through one's actions.
Mathematics. to verify the correctness or validity of by mathematical demonstration or arithmetical proof.
Printing. Also to take a trial impression of (type, a cut, etc.).
to cause (dough) to rise to the necessary lightness.
Archaic. to experience.

verb (used without object)

to turn out.

The experiment proved to be successful.
to be found by trial or experience to be.

His story proved false.
(of dough) to rise to a specified lightness.

Leave covered until it has proved.

prove British

/ pruːv /

verb

(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to establish or demonstrate the truth or validity of; verify, esp by using an established sequence of procedures or statements
to establish the quality of, esp by experiment or scientific analysis
law to establish the validity and genuineness of (a will)
to show (oneself) able or courageous
(copula) to be found or shown (to be)

this has proved useless
he proved to be invaluable
printing to take a trial impression of (type, etc)
(intr) (of dough) to rise in a warm place before baking
archaic to undergo

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

prove Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing prove

exception proves the rule

Usage

Either proved or proven is standard as the past participle of prove : Events have proved (or proven ) him wrong. As a modifier, proven is by far the more common: a proven fact.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of prove

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English proven, from Old French prover, from Latin probāre “to try, test, prove, approve,” derivative of probus “good.” See probity

Explanation

When you prove something, you show that it's true. If you say you love eating raw eggs, you may have to prove it by chugging a few. When someone asks you to prove something, you need evidence, also known as proof. Prove comes from the Latin root probare, "to test or prove worthy." The word’s meaning is clear in this quote from writer Ernest Holmes: "There was a time when a man was so convinced that the world was round that he was determined to prove it." As a transitive verb, prove requires an object to receive the action, as in "How can you prove your claim?" It can also be intransitive, as in "You might prove to be right."

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Vocabulary lists containing prove

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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II

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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:

prove proves proved proven proving

After an emotional 11-week trial, judge Matthew Nicklin sided with the publisher in a ruling handed down on July 7, concluding the "claimants failed to prove their pleaded allegations".

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

That when you and the machine disagree about what just happened, you’re the one who has to prove it.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

The striker scored on his debut against PSG, eight months after initially signing from Metz for £10m, and could prove one of the surprises of the season.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Analysts warned the buybacks could prove short-lived and counterproductive if concerns about high government debt and fiscal risks persist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Who could have foretold that all those years of stitching pithy wise sayings onto pillows would prove so useful?

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

"And with continued uncertainty in the Middle East — itself driven in part by US actions — South Korea may have few alternatives if the Arctic route proves economically viable," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

"Triple lock is vital to ward off pensioner poverty" reads the Sunday Express's headline, adding: "Campaigners say devastating new report on plight of UK elderly proves lifeline must stay".

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

But “Thunder and Mercy” proves its point: Uncovering the past can be a thrilling way of playing detective.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

And prosecutors believe Davis himself will be the star witness who proves their case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

It proves difficult, attempting to locate a length of ivory lace in the singular chaos of la maison Lefèvre.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

But while Harry and Meghan enjoyed some success in showbusiness, their Hollywood reign proved short-lived and California has greeted news of their departure back to the UK with a shrug.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

While the economy has proved more resilient than expected to the jump in energy prices in the first half of the year, some of its tailwinds will weaken, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

For many parents in the crowd, letting go proved harder than showing up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

But it also proved that Ossoff knows what he’s doing.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Instead, the tests administered by a child psychologist proved that their child had Asperger’s syndrome.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Callum Wilson, if fit, will provide proven Premier League experience up front, while Jaidon Anthony has shown what he can do at Burnley.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

The agency noted that the European Commission revoked the drug's marketing authorisation earlier this month because "the benefits are no longer proven to outweigh its risks".

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

For decades, food makers have relied on a proven playbook: cater to consumers’ taste buds with sugar, salt and a steadily expanding galaxy of flavors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

And if Mourinho has proven himself capable of one thing, it’s extracting commitment from his team.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Even if it’s going right through him, he’ll still get the benefits of the electrolytes. In fact, its proprietary formula is proven to improve quality of life.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

But in retirement, one former Citybus is proving that it has hidden talents.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The researchers emphasize that the findings show associations rather than proving that screen time or particular types of physical activity directly cause changes in cognitive performance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

While she doesn’t see herself as being political, the collective concerns of many like her are proving to be a force of their own up and down ballots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Deckers Outdoor, in May, said its Ugg Zora line — which has the fluffy interior an Ugg boot in roughly the shape of a ballet shoe — was proving appealing to customers.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Unfortunately, proving that required tracking down my least favorite person.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023