prove

P0620700 (pro͞ov)v. proved, proved or prov·en (pro͞o′vən), prov·ing, proves v.tr.1. a. To establish the truth or validity of (something) by the presentation of argument or evidence: The novel proves that the essayist can write in more than one genre. The storm proved him to be wrong in his prediction.b. To demonstrate the reality of (something): He proved his strength by doing 50 pushups.c. To show (oneself) to be what is specified or to have a certain characteristic: proved herself to be a formidable debater; proved herself to be worthy of the task.2. Law a. To establish by the required amount of evidence: proved his case in court.b. To establish the authenticity of (a will).3. Mathematics a. To demonstrate the validity of (a hypothesis or proposition).b. To verify (the result of a calculation).4. To subject (a gun, for instance) to a test.5. Printing To make a sample impression of (type); proof.6. Archaic To find out or learn (something) through experience.v.intr. To be shown to be such; turn out: a theory that proved impractical in practice; a schedule that proved to be too demanding.Phrasal Verb: prove out To turn out well; succeed.

[Middle English proven, from Old French prover, from Latin probāre, to test, from probus, good; see per in Indo-European roots.]

prov′a·bil′i·ty, prov′a·ble·ness n.prov′a·ble adj.prov′a·bly adv.prov′er n.Usage Note: Prove has two past participles: proved and proven. Proved is the older form. Proven is a variant. The Middle English spellings of prove included preven, a form that died out in England but survived in Scotland, and the past participle proven probably rose by analogy with verbs like weave, woven and cleave, cloven. Proven was originally used in Scottish legal contexts, such as The jury ruled that the charges were not proven. In the 1900s, proven made inroads into the territory once dominated by proved, so that now the two forms compete on equal footing as participles. However, when used as an adjective before a noun, proven is now the more common word: a proven talent.

prove

(pruːv) vb (mainly tr) , proves, proving, proved, proved or proven1. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to establish or demonstrate the truth or validity of; verify, esp by using an established sequence of procedures or statements2. to establish the quality of, esp by experiment or scientific analysis3. (Law) law to establish the validity and genuineness of (a will)4. to show (oneself) able or courageous5. (copula) to be found or shown (to be): this has proved useless; he proved to be invaluable. 6. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing to take a trial impression of (type, etc)7. (Cookery) (intr) (of dough) to rise in a warm place before baking8. archaic to undergo[C12: from Old French prover, from Latin probāre to test, from probus honest] ˈprovable adj ˌprovaˈbility n ˈprovably adv

prove

(pruv)

v. proved, proved prov•en, prov•ing. v.t. 1. to establish the truth, genuineness, or validity of, as by evidence or argument. 2. to give demonstration of; cause to be shown as specified: Events have proved me right. 3. to subject to a test, experiment, or analysis to determine quality, characteristics, etc.: to prove ore. 4. to show (oneself) to have the character or ability expected, esp. through one's actions. 5. to verify the correctness or validity of by mathematical demonstration or arithmetical proof. 6. Law. to probate (a will). 7. Also, proof. Print. to take a trial impression of (type, a cut, etc.). 8. to cause (dough) to rise to the necessary lightness. 9. Archaic. to experience. v.i. 10. to turn out: The experiment proved to be successful. 11. to be found by trial or experience to be: His story proved false. 12. (of dough) to rise to a specified lightness. [1125–75; Middle English < Old French prover < Latin probāre to approve, examine, prove, derivative of probus good, upright. See probity] prov′a•ble, adj. prov`a•bil′i•ty, prov′a•ble•ness, n. prov′a•bly, adv. prov′er, n. usage: Either proved or proven is standard as the past participle of prove. As a modifier, proven is by far the more common: a proven fact.

prove

probe, prove, probable - Latin probare, "approve, prove, test," is the source of English probe and prove. From that came Latin probabilis, "provable," which became English probable.
sooth, soothsayer, soothe - Sooth, "true, truth," or "that which is," is part of soothsayer; it is related to soothe, which once meant "assent to be true; say yes to," or "to prove or show a fact to be true."
approve - Its original sense was "prove, demonstrate."
rebut, refute - To rebut a statement is to offer clear evidence or a reasoned argument against it; to refute a statement is to prove it wrong (neither means "contradict" or "deny").

prove

test">test1. 'prove'

If you prove that something is true or correct, you provide evidence showing that it is definitely true or correct.

He was able to prove that he was an American.Tests proved that the bullet was not fired from a police weapon.2. 'test'

When you use a practical method to try to find out how good or bad someone or something is, don't say that you 'prove' them. Say that you test them.

I will test you on your knowledge of French.A number of new techniques were tested.

prove

Past participle: proven
Gerund: proving

Imperative
prove
prove

Present
I prove
you prove
he/she/it proves
we prove
you prove
they prove

Preterite
I proved
you proved
he/she/it proved
we proved
you proved
they proved

Present Continuous
I am proving
you are proving
he/she/it is proving
we are proving
you are proving
they are proving

Present Perfect
I have proven
you have proven
he/she/it has proven
we have proven
you have proven
they have proven

Past Continuous
I was proving
you were proving
he/she/it was proving
we were proving
you were proving
they were proving

Past Perfect
I had proven
you had proven
he/she/it had proven
we had proven
you had proven
they had proven

Future
I will prove
you will prove
he/she/it will prove
we will prove
you will prove
they will prove

Future Perfect
I will have proven
you will have proven
he/she/it will have proven
we will have proven
you will have proven
they will have proven

Future Continuous
I will be proving
you will be proving
he/she/it will be proving
we will be proving
you will be proving
they will be proving

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been proving
you have been proving
he/she/it has been proving
we have been proving
you have been proving
they have been proving

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been proving
you will have been proving
he/she/it will have been proving
we will have been proving
you will have been proving
they will have been proving

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been proving
you had been proving
he/she/it had been proving
we had been proving
you had been proving
they had been proving

Conditional
I would prove
you would prove
he/she/it would prove
we would prove
you would prove
they would prove

Past Conditional
I would have proven
you would have proven
he/she/it would have proven
we would have proven
you would have proven
they would have proven

prove

To allow a yeast dough to rise and expand by leaving it to rest in a warm place.

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	prove - 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"turn out, turn upbe - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"ensue, result - issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end; "result in tragedy"
	2.	prove - 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"shew, show, demonstrate, establishprove oneself - show one's ability or courageprove - prove formally; demonstrate by a mathematical, formal proofaffirm, confirm, corroborate, substantiate, support, sustain - establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant"negate, contradict - prove negative; show to be falsestultify - prove to be of unsound mind or demonstrate someone's incompetence; "nobody is legally allowed to stultify himself"confute, disprove - prove to be false; "The physicist disproved his colleagues' theories"
	3.	prove - provide evidence for; "The blood test showed that he was the father"; "Her behavior testified to her incompetence"bear witness, evidence, testify, showlaw, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"attest, certify, evidence, manifest, demonstrate - provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes; "His high fever attested to his illness"; "The buildings in Rome manifest a high level of architectural sophistication"; "This decision demonstrates his sense of fairness"inform - impart knowledge of some fact, state or affairs, or event to; "I informed him of his rights"presume - constitute reasonable evidence for; "A restaurant bill presumes the consumption of food"abduce, adduce, cite - advance evidence for
	4.	prove - prove formally; demonstrate by a mathematical, formal proofmath, mathematics, maths - a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangementshew, show, demonstrate, prove, establish - 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"
	5.	prove - put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to; "This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe"test, try out, try, essay, examinepass judgment, evaluate, judge - form a critical opinion of; "I cannot judge some works of modern art"; "How do you evaluate this grant proposal?" "We shouldn't pass judgment on other people"verify, control - check or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or comparing with another standard; "Are you controlling for the temperature?"float - circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with; "The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform"field-test - test something under the conditions under which it will actually be used; "The Army field tested the new tanks"
	6.	prove - increase in volume; "the dough rose slowly in the warm room"risegrow - become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain; "The problem grew too large for me"; "Her business grew fast"
	7.	prove - cause to puff up with a leaven; "unleavened bread"leaven, raiselift, raise, elevate, get up, bring up - raise from a lower to a higher position; "Raise your hands"; "Lift a load"
	8.	prove - take a trial impression ofprint, impress - reproduce by printing
	9.	prove - obtain probate of; "prove a will"law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"authenticate - establish the authenticity of something

prove

verb1. turn out, come out, end up, be found to be In the past this process has proved difficult.2. verify, establish, determine, show, evidence, confirm, demonstrate, justify, ascertain, bear out, attest, substantiate, corroborate, authenticate, evince, show clearly new evidence that could prove their innocence
verify rule out, discredit, refute, disprove, give the lie toprove yourself show yourself, demonstrate your ability Now's your chance to prove yourself. She proved herself to be a good mother.

prove

verb1. To establish as true or genuine:authenticate, bear out, confirm, corroborate, demonstrate, endorse, establish, evidence, show, substantiate, validate, verify.2. To subject to a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, value, proper function, or other quality:assay, check, essay, examine, test, try, try out.Idioms: bring to the test, make trial of, put to the proof.3. Archaic. To participate in or partake of personally:experience, feel, go through, have, know, meet (with), see, suffer, taste (of), undergo.Idiom: run up against.

Translations

证明证实

prove

(pruːv) verb1. to show to be true or correct. This fact proves his guilt; He was proved guilty; Can you prove your theory?证实2. to turn out, or be found, to be. His suspicions proved (to be) correct; This tool proved very useful.证明ˈproven adjective (especially in law) proved. 已证明的

prove

→ 证明zhCN

prove

fend and prove

dated To argue and defend a point or opinion. I was forced to fend and prove my stance before the tribunal.See also: and, fend, prove

be on (one's) mettle

To be determined to succeed and thus prove one's worth, often in a difficult or unpleasant situation. I know my employees think I'm too young to be their supervisor, so I have to be on my mettle every day at the office.See also: mettle, on

be the exception that proves the rule

To contradict a rule and thus confirm that the rule exists. A: "We're always told to get eight hours of sleep, but I usually feel really groggy when I sleep that much." B: "Well, I guess you're the exception that proves the rule."See also: exception, prove, rule, that

have something to prove

To have the need to display and confirm one's abilities to others who are doubtful. His parents expect his art career to fail, so he definitely has something to prove with this upcoming gallery show.See also: have, prove, something

prove (one's) mettle

To prove that one has endurance and strength of character, or the necessary skills, abilities, or traits to succeed in something. You may be the youngest lawyer in the firm, but you certainly proved your mettle in that high-profile murder case. The new CEO proved her mettle by completely restructuring the dying mobile phone division into the powerhouse it is today.See also: mettle, prove

prove out

1. To show the validity of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "prove" and "out." If you can prove out these allegations, that company will soon be faced with a scandal.2. To succeed. A noun or pronoun can be used between "prove" and "out." My hypothesis still has not proved out, and I can't determine why.See also: out, prove

the exception that proves the rule

That which contradicts or goes against a supposed rule, and therefore proves it in one's mind. A: "Video games are all just mindless filth that rots kids' brains." B: "I don't know, a lot of them let kids express themselves creatively or learn about the world in new ways." A: "Bah, those are just the exceptions that prove the rule."See also: exception, prove, rule, that

the exception proves the rule

That which contradicts or goes against a supposed rule therefore proves that it is almost always true. A: "Video games are all just mindless filth that rots kids' brains." B: "I don't know, a lot of them let kids express themselves creatively or learn about the world in new ways." A: "Bah, the exceptions just prove the rule."See also: exception, prove, rule

prove (oneself) as (something)

To do what is necessary to convince others of one's skill, capability, or authenticity in some role. Young men of the tribe are required to prove themselves as hunters before they can assume positions of leadership in the community. They've given me a few freelance projects to prove myself as a copy editor before they agree to hire me on a permanent basis.See also: prove

prove to (one) that (something is the case)

To show or provide evidence to one that something is the case. You need to prove to me that you are capable of running this office on your own. This is our chance to prove to the world that our country deserves its place in the global economy.See also: prove, that

prove (something) to (one)

To show or provide evidence that substantiates or makes one believe a claim. This case is your chance to prove your worth to the firm. I want to prove my theory to the panel.See also: prove

prove (to be) (something)

1. To show or provide evidence of having a particular trait, attribute, or characteristic. The new method proved to be useful in detecting radiation. She's proven a reliable ally in my time at this company.2. To show or provide evidence that someone, something, or oneself has a particular trait, attribute, or characteristic. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used directly after "prove." The new computer's incredibly reliable CPU and sleek design prove it to be a worthy investment for any student or professional. The week I had to spend in New York proved Janet to be more than capable of running the office on her own. This new evidence proves him a liar.See also: prove

The exception proves the rule.

Prov. Something that does not follow a rule shows that the rule exists. (Often used facetiously, to justify some rule you have proposed but which someone else has listed exceptions. From a Latin phrase meaning that an exception tests a rule.) Ellen: Men are always rude. Jane: But Alan's always polite. And Larry and Ted are polite, too. Ellen: They're just the exceptions that prove the rule. Bill: All the shows on TV are aimed at people with low intelligence. Alan: What about that news program you like to watch? Bill: The exception proves the rule.See also: exception, prove, rule

prove oneself as something

to demonstrate that one can serve in a certain office or capacity. It's time to promote her. She has proved herself as a teller. I proved myself as an investor by making a lot of money in the stock market.See also: prove

prove something to someone

to substantiate a claim about something to someone; to make someone believe or accept a statement about something. What do I have to do to prove my innocence to you? Nothing you say will prove it to me.See also: prove

prove to be something

to be shown to be someone or something; to be found to be someone or something. Susan proved to be a good friend when she lent me some money. The food proved to be spoiled when I smelled it.See also: prove

What does that prove?

Fig. So what?; that does not mean anything. (A defensive expression. The heaviest stress is on that. Often with so, as in the examples.) Tom: It seems that you were in the apartment the same night that it was robbed. Bob: So, what does that prove? Tom: Nothing, really. It's just something we need to keep in mind. Rachel: You're late again on your car payment. Jane: What does that prove? Rachel: Simply that you can't afford the car and we are going to repossess it.See also: does, that, what

exception proves the rule, the

An instance that does not obey a rule shows that the rule exists. For example, John's much shorter than average but excels at basketball-the exception proves the rule . This seemingly paradoxical phrase is the converse of the older idea that every rule has an exception. [Mid-1600s] See also: exception, prove

prove out

Succeed, turn out well, as in Farm-raised trout has proved out so well that the fish industry plans to experiment with other species . [Mid-1900s] See also: out, prove

the exception that proves the rule

You say that something is the exception that proves the rule to mean that the example that you have just mentioned is not normal and is the opposite of what you usually find. Towers should generally be arranged in clusters, but the Post Office Tower was the exception that proved the rule — it needs to stand alone so that its signals are not interrupted. The most creative minds are often said to be the product of a problematic childhood, but Hornby must be the exception that proves the rule. Note: `Prove' here means `to test by experiment or analysis' rather than `to establish as true'. So, the meaning is that an exception tests a rule, not that it establishes the rule as true in all other situations. See also: exception, prove, rule, that

the exception that proves the rule

a particular case that is so unusual that it is evidence of the validity of the rule that generally applies. This phrase comes from the Latin legal maxim exceptio probat regulum in casibus non exceptis ‘exception proves the rule in the cases not excepted’. This in fact meant that the recognition of something as an exception proved the existence of a rule, but the idiom is popularly used or understood to mean ‘a person or thing that does not conform to the general rule affecting others of that class’ 1998 Spectator The success of The Full Monty in the United States is an exception which proves the rule. On such lucky breaks, industries and economies are not built. See also: exception, prove, rule, that

the exˈception that proves the ˈrule

(saying) people say that something is the exception that proves the rule when they are stating something that seems to be different from the normal situation, but they mean that the normal situation remains true in general: English people are supposed to be very reserved, but Pete is the exception that proves the rule — he’ll chat to anyone!See also: exception, prove, rule, that

be on, show, prove, etc. your ˈmettle

be prepared to do the best work you can or perform as well as you can in a particular situation: When the boss comes round, I want you all to show your mettle. ♢ He’ll have to be on his mettle if he wants to win the next race. Mettle is the ability and determination to do something successfully in spite of difficult conditions.See also: mettle

exception proves the rule, the

Although something may not conform to it, the general rule is still valid. This term originated in the 1500s and is considered a proverb. Playwright Thomas Heywood used it in The Rape of Lucrece (1608), “If the general rule have no exceptions, thou wilt have an empty consistory.” However, in the 1800s several scholars maintained that “proves” in this phrase actually means “tests” (and not “verifies”). Whichever is intended, the phrase is still used, as in “Jane was the only woman who opposed this measure; well, the exception proves the rule.”See also: exception, prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

prove

fend and prove

be on (one's) mettle

be the exception that proves the rule

have something to prove

prove (one's) mettle

prove out

the exception that proves the rule

the exception proves the rule

prove (oneself) as (something)

prove to (one) that (something is the case)

prove (something) to (one)

prove (to be) (something)

The exception proves the rule.

prove oneself as something

prove something to someone

prove to be something

What does that prove?

exception proves the rule, the

prove out

the exception that proves the rule

the exception that proves the rule

the exˈception that proves the ˈrule

be on, show, prove, etc. your ˈmettle

exception proves the rule, the

prove

prove

PROVE

prove

Synonyms for prove

verb turn out

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verb verify

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phrase prove yourself

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Synonyms for prove

verb to establish as true or genuine

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verb to subject to a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, value, proper function, or other quality

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verb to participate in or partake of personally

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Synonyms for prove

verb be shown or be found to be

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Related Words

verb establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment

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verb provide evidence for

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verb prove formally

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verb put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to

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verb increase in volume

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verb cause to puff up with a leaven

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verb take a trial impression of

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