Word
proven
US/ˈpɹuvən/
UK/pɹˈuːvən/
Definition
adj. used to describe something that people know is good or true because it has worked many times before.
adj. demonstrated to be effective, reliable, or true through experience or testing. Often used as an attributive adjective before a noun.
Examples
“This is a proven method for losing weight.”
“The company only hires managers with a proven track record of increasing sales in competitive markets.”
“While the theory remains controversial among academics, its practical applications have yielded proven results in industrial settings for over a decade.”
Examples
simple
“This is a proven method for losing weight.”
contextual
“The company only hires managers with a proven track record of increasing sales in competitive markets.”
complex
“While the theory remains controversial among academics, its practical applications have yielded proven results in industrial settings for over a decade.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the collocations 'proven track record', 'proven ability', and 'proven method'.
Real-World Examples
“The country’s importance to the US has been proven time and time again over the past century.” “Canada has already proven that it can cause economic pain in the US.” Etymology
From Scottish English, as past participle of preve, a Middle English variant of prove – compare woven (from weave) and cloven (from cleave), both of which feature -eve → -oven. Preve died out in England, but survived in Scotland, where proven developed, initially in a legal context, as in “The jury ruled that the charges were not proven.” See usage notes for historical usage patterns. Earlier, from Late Latin probō (“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”, verb), from Latin probus (“good, worthy, excellent”), from Proto-Indo-European pro-bʰuH-s (“being in front, prominent”), from pro-, per- (“toward”) + bʰuH- (“to be”). Morphologically prove + -n.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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