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prove

prove [ proov ] (past proved, past participle proved or prov·en [ prvən ], present participle prov·ing, 3rd person present singular proves)

verb

Definition:

1. transitive verb establish truth of something: to establish the truth or existence of something by providing evidence or argument

2. transitive and intransitive verb turn out to be something: to turn out to be a particular thing or a thing of a particular character after time or testing

It proved impossible to dislodge the rock.

3. prove your·self vr demonstrate competence: to show yourself to be competent and worthy

eager to prove himself in his new job

proved herself more than capable of achieving excellent results

4. transitive verb chemistry minerals test something to determine characteristics: to subject something to scientific analysis to determine its worth or characteristics

5. transitive verb mathematics check result of calculation: to verify that a mathematical result is correct

6. transitive verb mathematics demonstrate truth of hypothesis: to demonstrate that a hypothesis or proposition is true

7. transitive verb law demonstrate that will is genuine: to establish that a will is genuine or valid

8. transitive verb printing arts make impression of something: to make a test impression of a negative, etching, or type

9. intransitive verb food rise in warm place: to rise in a warm place before being baked ( refers to dough )

[12th century. Via Old French prover< Latin probare "test, prove to be good" < probus "good"]

prov·a·bil·i·ty [ prvə bíllətee ] noun

prov·a·ble [ prvəb'l ] adjective

prov·a·bly adverb

Word Usage


	proved or proven? The past participles proved and proven are both often used as verbs, with auxiliaries, and also as predicative adjectives (after be). Whether to say, for example, We have proved our case or We have proven our case, and The case is proved or The case is proven is a matter of choice. Proved is not, however, ordinarily employed as an adjective preceding a noun: proven cases; a proven fact are the standard forms.

Word History


	The Latin word probus "good," from which prove is derived, is also the source of English approve, probable, probe, probity, proof, reprobate, and reprove.