PROVEN
/ˈpɹu.vn̩/Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2026
Meaning
Having been proved; having proved its value or truth.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
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.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: