Definition of prove

• v. t. - To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder or of ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a standard measure.
• v. t. - To evince, establish, or ascertain, as truth, reality, or fact, by argument, testimony, or other evidence.
• v. t. - To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will.
• v. t. - To gain experience of the good or evil of; to know by trial; to experience; to suffer.
• v. t. - To test, evince, ascertain, or verify, as the correctness of any operation or result; thus, in subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of the subtraction is proved.
• v. t. - To take a trial impression of; to take a proof of; as, to prove a page.
• v. i. - To make trial; to essay.
• v. i. - To be found by experience, trial, or result; to turn out to be; as, a medicine proves salutary; the report proves false.
• v. i. - To succeed; to turn out as expected.