INDEX:
1. to show that something is correct or true
2. to prove that something is wrong, untrue, or does not exist
3. something that proves something is true
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ TRUE
↑ UNTRUE
↑ RIGHT
↑ WRONG
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1. to show that something is correct or true
▷ prove /pruːv/ [transitive verb]
to show that something is definitely true, by providing facts or information :
▪ We’re sure Jason took the money, but we can’t prove it.
▪ Until there is evidence to prove any of these claims, we cannot pass judgement.
prove that
▪ Can you prove that you were at home at the time of the attack?
▪ He wanted to prove that he was just as clever as his sister.
prove somebody wrong/innocent/guilty
▪ I would love to prove him wrong.
prove something to somebody
▪ I’m telling the truth, and I can prove it to you.
prove where/how etc
▪ Don’t trust anyone who turns up at your door, unless they can prove who they are.
prove something conclusively/beyond doubt
▪ His guilt has never been conclusively proven.
▷ show /ʃəʊ/ [transitive verb]
if facts or actions show that something is true, they prove that it is true :
▪ The Prime Minister’s comments show his ignorance of people’s feelings.
show (that)
▪ Research shows that smiling increases the levels of hormones that promote good health.
show where/how etc
▪ These figures show how serious the company’s problems are.
show something/somebody to be something
▪ A scientific theory is only ‘true’ until someone shows it to be false or inaccurate.
▷ demonstrate /ˈdemənstreɪt/ [transitive verb]
to do something or provide information which makes it very clear to people that something is true :
▪ The studies demonstrate a clear link between smoking and heart disease.
demonstrate (that)
▪ The President is anxious to demonstrate that he has a strong foreign policy.
demonstrate where/how etc
▪ Try to round off your answer by demonstrating how your old job has prepared you to do the job you are applying for.
▷ confirm /kənˈfɜːʳm/ [transitive verb]
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.
confirm that
▪ The discovery seems to confirm that people lived here over 10,000 years ago.
confirm somebody’s worst fears
prove that something is as bad as someone thought it was
▪ In July his worst fears were confirmed: he had cancer.
▷ support /səˈpɔːʳt/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
support a theory/claim/notion/ view etc
to help to prove that a belief, idea etc is probably true :
▪ Do you have any evidence to support these claims?
▪ The notion that women are worse drivers than men is simply not supported by the facts.
▪ For twenty-five years he painstakingly amassed evidence to support his hypothesis.
▷ back up /ˌbæk ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb not in progressive]
to provide additional information to help prove that a statement, belief, or explanation is correct :
back up something
▪ When you write a history essay, you should back up all your points with facts.
back something/it/them up
▪ They claim they can give us the best deal, but can they back this up with guarantees?
▪ Wright was accused of pretending to be injured, and this was backed up by video evidence.
▷ bear out /ˌbeər ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb not usually in progressive]
if facts or information bear out a claim or opinion, they support it and help to prove that it is probably true :
bear out something
▪ Most of the available evidence bears out the view that students learn better in small classes than in large classes.
▪ My warnings about Jean-Paul were later borne out by his dishonesty.
bear somebody out
prove what someone has said is true
▪ Last summer I predicted an increase in terrorist violence, and recent events have borne me out.
▷ substantiate /səbˈstænʃieɪt/ [transitive verb not in progressive] formal
to provide additional information that helps to prove that a statement is correct, especially if the statement is difficult to believe :
substantiate a claim/an allegation
▪ The authorities claimed they were conspiring to overthrow the government, but offered no evidence to substantiate these claims.
▪ Allegations made by prisoners are usually only considered when substantiated by the evidence of a prison officer.
▷ validate /ˈvælɪdeɪt, ˈvælədeɪt/ [transitive verb not in progressive] 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.
▪ This is an interesting hypothesis, but all attempts to validate it have so far failed.
▷ corroborate /kəˈrɒbəreɪtǁkəˈrɑː-/ [transitive verb not in progressive] formal
to provide additional information which supports or agrees with something that most people already accept as true - used in scientific and legal contexts :
▪ Levine claims that a third car was involved in the accident and witnesses have corroborated this.
▪ Professor Carling’s findings have been corroborated by more recent research.
corroborate a story
▪ There was no one to corroborate her story about the disturbance in the lounge.
corroborating evidence
▪ No doctor would order surgery on the basis of a single test result, without corroborating clinical evidence.
2. to prove that something is wrong, untrue, or does not exist
▷ disprove /dɪsˈpruːv/ [transitive verb]
to prove that something is wrong or not true :
▪ She was able to produce figures that disproved Smith’s argument.
▪ The existence of God is a question of faith, and therefore impossible to prove or disprove.
▷ refute /rɪˈfjuːt/ [transitive verb] formal
to prove that what someone has said is not true :
▪ I knew that he was lying but I had no evidence with which to refute his story.
▪ The accusation has been wholly refuted by an in-depth analysis of the evidence.
▷ debunk /ˌdiːˈbʌŋk/ [transitive verb]
to prove that something is not true, especially something that people have believed for a long time, and make it seem silly or unimportant :
▪ In her book she debunks a lot of the claims made by astrologers.
▪ Payton wants to debunk the myth that economics is a science.
▷ invalidate /ɪnˈvælɪdeɪt, ɪnˈvælədeɪt/ [transitive verb not in progressive] formal
if a fact or piece of information invalidates an explanation or idea, it proves that it contains mistakes which make it unlikely to be true - used in scientific contexts :
▪ None of the more recent views invalidates Hahnemann’s original discoveries or teachings.
▪ If we look closely at Professor Thomson’s argument, we see that his conclusion is invalidated by a number of factual errors.
▷ demolish /dɪˈmɒlɪʃǁdɪˈmɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to prove that an argument or idea is completely wrong :
▪ It would not be difficult to demolish a theory that was so obviously a load of rubbish.
▪ There was a time when the response ‘that’s a value judgement’ would have demolished any argument in the educational field.
▷ explode /ɪkˈspləʊd/ [transitive verb]
explode a myth/rumour
to prove that something that many people think or believe is wrong or not true :
▪ The report explodes the myth that men are bed-hopping rogues.
▷ negative /ˈnegətɪv/ [adjective]
a negative result of a medical or chemical test does not show any sign of the condition you are testing for and therefore proves it does not exist in this person or situation :
▪ All the athletes’ drugs tests were negative.
▪ a negative pregnancy test
▪ The first brain scan proved negative.
3. something that proves something is true
▷ proof /pruːf/ [uncountable noun]
information or facts that prove that something is true :
▪ He was the only person in the room when the money disappeared - what more proof do you want?
▪ The police knew she was guilty, but they had no proof.
proof of
▪ You can’t drink in bars without some proof of your age.
proof (that)
▪ There is no proof that he did it.
conclusive proof
something that definitely proves something is true
▪ It was alleged that he was stealing money from the till, but we never had any conclusive proof.
▷ evidence /ˈevɪd ə ns, ˈevəd ə ns/ [uncountable noun]
information that helps to prove whether something is true or not :
▪ The police did not have enough evidence to charge anybody with the murder.
evidence that
▪ There is some evidence that a small amount of alcohol is good for you.
evidence of/for
▪ evidence of life on other planets
medical/scientific/forensic etc evidence
▪ There is no scientific evidence to support this theory.
evidence to suggest/indicate/show etc something
▪ There is strong evidence to suggest that the Great Barrier Reef will have disappeared in 20 years time.
not a shred of evidence
no evidence at all
▪ There is not a shred of evidence to support such a theory.
▷ documentation /ˌdɒkjɑmənˈteɪʃ ə n, -men-ǁˌdɑːk-/ [uncountable noun]
official documents that are used to prove that a claim or statement is true or correct :
▪ Can you produce documentation to support your claim?
▪ As there is no formal documentation of your business partnership, it has no legal status.
▷ living proof /ˌlɪvɪŋ ˈpruːf/ [countable noun]
a person, group, or place that proves that something is true or possible :
living proof of
▪ The team is living proof of the old saying that it’s not whom you play that counts, but when you play them.
▪ We know that English and French speakers can live together in Canada - Montreal is living proof of that.
living proof that
▪ Jordan is living proof that you don’t have to conform to the music industry’s standards in order to be accepted.
▷ the acid test /ði ˌæsɪd ˈtest/ [singular noun]
a way of finding out whether something is as good as people say it is, whether it works, or when it is true :
▪ The acid test of a good leader is the extent to which they select a style to suit the circumstances.