Adjacent Words

Prove definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PROVE, v.t. prov. [L. probo.]
1. To try; to ascertain some unknown quality or truth by an experiment, or by a test or standard. Thus we prove the strength of gunpowder by experiment; we prove the strength or solidity of cannon by experiment. We prove the contents of a vessel by comparing it with a standard measure.
2. To evince, establish or ascertain as truth, reality or fact, by testimony or other evidence. The plaintiff in a suit, must prove the truth of his declaration; the prosecutor must prove his charges against the accused.
3. To evince truth by argument, induction or reasoning; to deduce certain conclusions from propositions that are true or admitted. If it is admitted that every immoral act is dishonorable to a rational being, and that dueling is an immoral act; then it is proved by necessary inference, that dueling is dishonorable to a rational being.
4. To ascertain the genuineness or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will.
5. To experience; to try by suffering or encountering; to gain certain knowledge by the operation of something on ourselves, or by some act of our own.
Let him in arms the power of Turnus prove.
6. In arithmetic, to show, evince or ascertain the correctness of any operation or result. Thus in subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of the subtraction is proved. In other words, if the sum of the remainder and of the subtrahend, is equal to the minuend, the operation of subtraction is proved to be correct.
7. To try; to examine.
Prove your own selves. 2 Corinthians 13.
8. Men prove God, when by their provocations they put his patience to trial, Psalms 95; or when by obedience they make trial how much he will countenance such conduct, Malachi 3.
PROVE, v.i. To make trial; to essay.
The sons prepare--
To prove by arms whose fate it was to reign.
1. To be found or to have its qualities ascertained by experience or trial; as, a plant or medicine proves salutary.
2. To be ascertained by the event or something subsequent; as the report proves to be true, or proves to be false.
3. To be found true or correct by the result.
4. To make certain; to show; to evince.
This argument proves how erroneous is the common opinion.
5. To succeed.
If the experiment proved not--
[Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: be shown or be found to be; "She proved to be right"; "The medicine turned out to save her life"; "She turned up HIV positive" [syn: prove, turn out, turn up]
2: establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment; "The experiment demonstrated the instability of the compound"; "The mathematician showed the validity of the conjecture" [syn: prove, demonstrate, establish, show, shew] [ant: confute, disprove]
3: provide evidence for; "The blood test showed that he was the father"; "Her behavior testified to her incompetence" [syn: testify, bear witness, prove, evidence, show]
4: prove formally; demonstrate by a mathematical, formal proof
5: put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to; "This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe" [syn: test, prove, try, try out, examine, essay]
6: increase in volume; "the dough rose slowly in the warm room" [syn: rise, prove]
7: cause to puff up with a leaven; "unleavened bread" [syn: raise, leaven, prove]
8: take a trial impression of
9: obtain probate of; "prove a will"

Merriam Webster's

verb (proved; proved or proven; proving) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French prover, pruver, from Latin probare to test, prove, from probus good, honest, from pro- for, in favor + -bus (akin to Old English b?on to be) — more at pro-, be Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. archaic to learn or find out by experience 2. a. to test the truth, validity, or genuineness of <the exception proves the rule> <prove a will at probate> b. to test the worth or quality of; specifically to compare against a standard — sometimes used with up or out c. to check the correctness of (as an arithmetic result) 3. a. to establish the existence, truth, or validity of (as by evidence or logic) <prove a theorem> <the charges were never proved in court> b. to demonstrate as having a particular quality or worth <the vaccine has been proven effective after years of tests> <proved herself a great actress> 4. to show (oneself) to be worthy or capable <eager to prove myself in the new job> intransitive verb to turn out especially after trial or test <the new drug proved effective> • provable adjective • provableness noun • provably adverb • prover noun Usage: The past participle proven, originally the past participle of preve, a Middle English variant of prove that survived in Scotland, has gradually worked its way into standard English over the past three and a half centuries. It seems to have first become established in legal use and to have come only slowly into literary use. Tennyson was one of its earliest frequent users, probably for metrical reasons. It was disapproved by 19th century grammarians, one of whom included it in a list of “words that are not words.” Surveys made some 50 or 60 years ago indicated that proved was about four times as frequent as proven. But our evidence from the last 30 or 35 years shows this no longer to be the case. As a past participle proven is now about as frequent as proved in all contexts. As an attributive adjective <proved or proven gas reserves> proven is much more common than proved.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. (past part. proved or proven) 1 tr. (often foll. by that + clause) demonstrate the truth of by evidence or argument. 2 intr. a (usu. foll. by to + infin.) be found (it proved to be untrue). b emerge incontrovertibly as (will prove the winner). 3 tr. Math. test the accuracy of (a calculation). 4 tr. establish the genuineness and validity of (a will). 5 intr. (of dough) rise in bread-making. 6 tr. = PROOF 6. 7 tr. subject (a gun etc.) to a testing process. 8 tr. archaic test the qualities of; try. Phrases and idioms: not proven (in Scottish Law) a verdict that there is insufficient evidence to establish guilt or innocence. prove oneself show one's abilities, courage, etc. Derivatives: provable adj. provability n. provably adv. Etymology: ME f. OF prover f. L probare test, approve, demonstrate f. probus good

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prove Prove, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Proved; p. pr. & vb. n. Proving.] [OE. prover, F. prouver, fr. L. probare to try, approve, prove, fr. probus good, proper. Cf. Probable, Proof, Probe.] 1. To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder or of ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a standard measure. Thou hast proved mine heart. --Ps. xvii. 3. 2. To evince, establish, or ascertain, as truth, reality, or fact, by argument, testimony, or other evidence. They have inferred much from slender premises, and conjectured when they could not prove. --J. H. Newman. 3. To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will. 4. To gain experience of the good or evil of; to know by trial; to experience; to suffer. Where she, captived long, great woes did prove. --Spenser. 5. (Arith.) To test, evince, ascertain, or verify, as the correctness of any operation or result; thus, in subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of the subtraction is proved. 6. (Printing) To take a trial impression of; to take a proof of; as, to prove a page. Syn: To try; verify; justify; confirm; establish; evince; manifest; show; demonstrate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prove Prove, v. i. 1. To make trial; to essay. 2. To be found by experience, trial, or result; to turn out to be; as, a medicine proves salutary; the report proves false. ``The case proves mortal.'' --Arbuthnot. So life a winter's morn may prove. --Keble. 3. To succeed; to turn out as expected. [Obs.] ``The experiment proved not.'' --Bacon.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(proves, proving, proved, proved, or proven) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If something proves to be true or to have a particular quality, it becomes clear after a period of time that it is true or has that quality. We have been accused of exaggerating before, but unfortunately all our reports proved to be true... In the past this process of transition has often proven difficult. ...an experiment which was to prove a source of inspiration for many years to come. V-LINK: V to-inf, V adj, V n 2. If you prove that something is true, you show by means of argument or evidence that it is definitely true. You brought this charge. You prove it!... The results prove that regulation of the salmon farming industry is inadequate. ...trying to prove how groups of animals have evolved... That made me hopping mad and determined to prove him wrong... History will prove him to have been right all along. ...a proven cause of cancer. VERB: V n, V that, V wh, V n adj, V n to-inf, V-ed 3. If you prove yourself to have a certain good quality, you show by your actions that you have it. Margaret proved herself to be a good mother... As a composer he proved himself adept at large dramatic forms... A man needs time to prove himself... Few would argue that this team has experience and proven ability. VERB: V pron-refl to-inf, V pron-refl adj, V pron-refl, V-ed, also V pron-refl n, V that 4. If you prove a point, you show other people that you know something or can do something, although your action may have no other purpose. They made a 3,000 mile detour simply to prove a point. PHRASE: V inflects

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

proov (bachan, nacah; dokimazo, peirazo): Means (1) to test or try; (2) to establish, demonstrate; (3) to find by experience. It is for the most part in the first (original) sense that the word is found in Scripture. In the Old Testament it is most frequently the translation of nacah, primarily "to lift," hence, to weigh (Ge 42:15,16, etc.). God is said to "prove" His people, i.e. to test or try them for their good (Ge 22:1; Ex 15:25; De 8:16, etc.). The Psalmist prays that God may prove him (Ps 26:2). The word is frequently rendered "tempt." See TEMPT. The word bachan, primarily "to try by heat," has a similar meaning (Ps 17:3, the heart, like metal, purified from dross; compare Job 23:10; Ps 7:9; Mal 3:2, etc.). In the New Testament the word most frequently rendered "prove" (sometimes "try") is dokimazo (Lu 14:19; Ro 12:2; 2Co 8:8,22; 13:5; Eph 5:10; 1Th 5:21). Peirazo, "to tempt," "to prove," used in both a good and a bad sense, frequently translated "tempt" (which see), is rendered "prove" in Joh 6:6, "This he said to prove him." Both Greek words occur frequently in Apocrypha (Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus). the Revised Version (British and American) has "prove" for "tempt" (Ge 22:1); for, "make" (Job 24:25; Ga 2:18); for "manifest" (Ec 3:18); for "examine" (1Co 11:28); for "try" (1Co 3:13; 1 Joh 4:1), etc.

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Demonstrate, show, manifest, confirm, establish, evidence, evince, substantiate, ascertain, justify, verify, make good. 2. Try, test, examine, make trial of, assay, put to the test, experiment upon, submit to the test or proof. 3. Experience, suffer. II. v. n. 1. Turn out, be found to be. 2. Essay, make trial. 3. Make certain.

Moby Thesaurus

affirm, afford proof of, argue, ascertain, assay, attend, attest, audit, authenticate, back, back up, balance, balance the books, be found, bear out, become of, bespeak, betoken, bolster, bring home to, bring out, bring to test, buttress, certify, check, check and doublecheck, check out, check over, cinch, circumstantiate, clinch, collate, come about, come of, come out, confirm, corroborate, cross-check, cut and try, demonstrate, determine, develop, document, double-check, end, engrave, ensue, essay, establish, eventuate, evince, examine, experiment, fall out, fare, fix, follow, follow from, fortify, get out, give a try, give a tryout, have a case, have a go, hectograph, hold good, hold water, impress, imprint, indicate, inventory, issue, make good, make out, mimeograph, multigraph, nail down, overhaul, overprint, pan out, play around with, practice upon, print, probate, proof, prove to be, prove true, publish, pull, pull a proof, put out, put to bed, put to press, put to trial, ratify, recheck, reinforce, reissue, remove all doubt, reprint, research, result, road-test, run, run a sample, run off, sample, set at rest, settle, settle the matter, shake down, show, stamp, strengthen, strike, substantiate, support, sustain, take stock, taste, terminate, test, triple-check, try, try it on, try out, turn out, undergird, unfold, uphold, validate, verify, warrant, work out