Proved

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹuːvd/

Definitions

1. To validate the authenticity or correctness of a statement by means of evidence or reasoning
2. To confirm or establish the truth of a proposition through logical argument or factual proof
3. Shown to be true or accurate through evidence or demonstration

Etymology: "Proved" is an inflected form, the simple past and past participle of "prove," so its story is really the story of the verb. The most surprising part is that the past tense was not always "proved." Old English had "prōfian," meaning "to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove," and the Middle English form was "proven," which was the normal past participle for centuries. The regular "-ed" ending gradually took over, while "proven" survives mainly as an adjective ("a proven method") or in certain fixed uses. The verb itself came into English through two routes that met in Middle English. One was the native Old English "prōfian," and the other was Old French "prover," both descending from Latin "probāre," meaning "to test, try, examine, approve." That Latin verb grew from "probus," meaning "good, worthy, excellent," so to prove something was originally to test it until it showed itself worthy. The native English word "sothen," from Old English "sōþian," had also meant "to prove," but it was displaced by the borrowed verb. The past tense also shows an irregular pattern. "Prove" was once conjugated like a strong verb, following the model of "choose" and "chose," which is why the simple past "proved" looks a little like the regular "-ed" forms but also reflects this older pattern through "proven."

Synonyms: demonstrated, established, verified, validated, confirmed

Antonyms: disproved, refuted, contradicted, denied, falsified