Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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prove, proves, proving, proven, proved

Synonyms: verify, substantiate, confirm, demonstrate, validate

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Antonyms: disprove, refute, rebut, contradict, invalidate

The Verb Prove – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb prove is an irregular verb meaning to demonstrate the truth or existence of something through evidence or argument.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: prove
■ Past Simple: proved
■ Past Participle: proved or proven
■ Present Participle/Gerund: proving


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Prove' is a strong verb used in legal, scientific, mathematical, and everyday arguments.


1. Demonstrating Truth
This is the verb's core meaning.


■ Law: 'The prosecutor's job is to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.'
■ Science: 'The experiment was designed to prove the hypothesis.'
■ Personal: 'He felt he had to prove his loyalty to the team.'


2. To Turn Out To Be
This use means to be discovered or shown to be something over time.


■ 'The new strategy proved to be very effective.'
■ 'His initial fears proved to be unfounded.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: 'PROVED' VS. 'PROVEN'


■ Past Participle: Both 'proved' and 'proven' are correct as the past participle.
■ 'He has proved his point.' (More common as the verb)
■ 'It is a proven fact.' ('Proven' is very common as an adjective before a noun).
   While both are generally acceptable, 'proved' is often preferred for the verb form, and 'proven' for the adjective form.