Link Centre Dictionary

prove

UK/pɹəʊv/ US/ˈpɹʉwv/ very common

verb

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”
Synonyms
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”
Synonyms
Antonyms
3.

provide evidence for

  • “The blood test showed that he was the father”
  • “Her behavior testified to her incompetence”
Synonyms
4.
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”
Synonyms
6.

increase in volume

  • “the dough rose slowly in the warm room”
Synonyms
7.

cause to puff up with a leaven

  • “unleavened bread”
Synonyms
8.
9.

obtain probate of

  • “prove a will”

Origin

From Middle English proven, from Old English prōfian (“to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove”) and Old French prover (“to prove”), both from Latin probō (“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”, verb), from probus (“good, worthy, excellent”), from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰuH-s (“being in front, prominent”), from *pro-, *per- (“toward”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”). Displaced native Middle English sothen (“to prove”), from Old English sōþian (“to prove”). Doublet of probe. More at for, be, soothe.

Phrases

  • exception that proves the rule
  • fend and prove
  • prove oneself
  • prove out
  • proving ground
  • the exception proves the rule
  • until proven otherwise

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Causes

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.