# proven

/ˈpɹuvən/ (US) · /pɹˈuːvən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/proven
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. tested and effective

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe something that people know is good or true because it has worked many times before.

For teachers: demonstrated to be effective, reliable, or true through experience or testing. Often used as an attributive adjective before a noun.

- The company uses a proven method for training new employees that always gets results.
- Investors tend to prefer companies with a proven track record of profitability rather than speculative startups with unverified business models.

Usage: Commonly appears in the collocations 'proven track record', 'proven ability', and 'proven method'.

## 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.