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Definition of "prove" []

  • To establish the truth or validity of by presentation of argument or evidence. (verb-transitive)
  • Law To establish the authenticity of (a will). (verb-transitive)
  • To determine the quality of by testing; try out. (verb-transitive)
  • Mathematics To demonstrate the validity of (a hypothesis or proposition). (verb-transitive)
  • Mathematics To verify (the result of a calculation). (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "prove" in a sentence
  • "They write letters to prove that they "don't count," and they _prove it_. '"
  • "It is said of kings and rulers, they must prove that they have a heart, and it may also be said of the man who has no religion, that _he must prove_ that he has a _conscience."
  • "The word prove is usually reserved for mathematics: “to verify the correctness or validity of by mathematical demonstration or arithmetical proof” Random House Unabridged Dictionary."