Okuzeka
Law vocabulary · Evidence & Proof

Prove

Meaning in law, with examples

/pruːv/verbCore term

In law, prove means: To show with evidence that a fact or claim is true, to the standard the court requires, so that the court can rely on it.

In Turkish: ispat etmek, kanıtlamak, ispatlamak

How it is used

The party who makes an allegation usually has to prove it. Lawyers talk about facts that are 'proved' or 'not proved', about having to 'prove a case' and about what is 'difficult to prove'. Both 'proved' and 'proven' are used as past participles; 'proved' is more traditional in British legal writing.

Example sentences

  1. We have to prove that the buyer knew about the defect before signing.

  2. Without the emails, the claim would be very hard to prove.

Common collocations

  • prove a case
  • prove beyond reasonable doubt
  • prove on the balance of probabilities
  • difficult to prove
  • burden of proofThe duty of one side in a case to prove that the facts it relies on are true; if it cannot do so, it loses on that point.
  • standard of proofThe level of certainty a court needs before it accepts that a fact has been proved; it is higher in criminal cases than in civil cases.
  • evidenceDocuments, objects, statements and other information that a court uses to decide which facts are true.
  • allegeTo say that someone has done something wrong or illegal, or that a fact is true, without having proved it yet.

More terms: Evidence & Proof

Practise with graded reading

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.