prove S2 W1 /pruːv/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense proved , past participle proved or proven /ˈpruːv ə n/ especially American English )
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ prove ≠ ↑ disprove ; noun : ↑ proof ; adjective : ↑ proven ≠ ↑ unproven ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: prover , from Latin probare ; ⇨ ↑ probe 2 ]
1 . SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE [transitive] to show that something is true by providing facts, information etc ⇨ proof :
You’re wrong, and I can prove it.
prove (that)
Tests have proved that the system works.
prove something to somebody
I knew he had done it, but there was no way I could prove it to Eddie.
prove sb’s guilt/innocence
He claims the police destroyed records that could prove the officer’s guilt.
prove somebody wrong/innocent etc
They say I’m too old, but I’m going to prove them all wrong.
To prove his point (=show that he was right) , he mentioned several other experiments which had produced similar results.
► You prove something to someone : I will prove to you (NOT prove you) that I’m right.
2 . BE [linking verb] if someone or something proves difficult, helpful, a problem etc, they are difficult, helpful, a problem etc:
The recent revelations may prove embarrassing to the President.
prove to be something
The design proved to be a success.
3 . prove yourself/prove something (to somebody) to show how good you are at doing something:
When I first started this job, I felt I had to prove myself.
4 . prove yourself (to be) something to show other people that you are a particular type of person:
She’s proved herself to be a very reliable worker.
5 . what is somebody trying to prove? spoken said when you are annoyed by someone’s actions and do not understand them
6 . prove a point if someone does something to prove a point, they do it to show that they are right or that they can do something:
I’m not going to run the marathon just to prove a point.
7 . BREAD [intransitive] if ↑ dough (=unbaked bread mixture) proves, it rises and becomes light because of the ↑ yeast in it
8 . LAW [transitive] law to show that a ↑ will has been made in the correct way
—provable adjective
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COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ prove somebody's guilt/innocence
There was no way she could prove her innocence.
▪ prove the existence of something
These pictures do not prove the existence of water on Mars.
▪ prove a theory
No evidence emerged to prove either theory.
▪ prove your case
The state had failed to prove its case.
▪ prove your point
To prove her point, Dr Hurdal showed her audience a scan of a patient's brain.
■ phrases
▪ prove somebody wrong/right
See if you can prove me wrong.
▪ prove somebody guilty/innocent
The law states that you are innocent until proved guilty.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ confirm if a piece of new information confirms an idea or belief that people already have, it shows that it is definitely true:
Police have found new evidence that confirms his story.
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The discovery seems to confirm that people lived here over 10,000 years ago.
▪ prove to show that something is definitely true by providing facts:
DNA tests proved that he was the father of the child.
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I think we’ve proved that we are a good team.
▪ back up to provide additional information to help prove that a statement, belief, or explanation is correct:
When you write a history essay, you should back up all your points with facts.
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Wright was accused of pretending to be injured, and this was backed up by video evidence.
▪ support to help to prove that a belief, idea etc is probably true:
Do you have any evidence to support these claims?
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The notion that women are worse drivers than men is simply not supported by the facts.
▪ bear something out if facts or information bear out a claim or opinion, they suggest that something is likely to be true:
Most of the available evidence bears out the view that students learn better in small classes.
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Marriage is not always easy; a fact that is clearly borne out in divorce statistics.
▪ corroborate formal to provide additional information which supports or agrees with something – used in scientific and legal contexts:
Levine claims that a third car was involved in the accident and witnesses have corroborated this.
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Professor Carling’s findings have been corroborated by more recent research.
▪ substantiate formal to provide additional information that helps to prove that a statement is correct, especially if the statement is difficult to believe:
A police investigation failed to substantiate the claim that he had been sexually abused.
▪ validate formal to prove that information or results are correct by using scientific tests or very careful checking – used in scientific or technical contexts:
All the information used in this report has been validated by an independent panel of experts.