corroborate

corroborate — verb

1. To provide new information or evidence that makes an existing claim, story, or a

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

To provide new information or evidence that makes an existing claim, story, or account more likely to be true.

例句

Rachel's account of the break-in was corroborated by fingerprints found on the window frame.

passive: be corroborated by [evidence]

Sayaka said she saw the car speed away, and a neighbor later corroborated her story.

同義詞
  • confirm

    more general; does not necessarily require new evidence

  • support

    less formal; broader meaning

  • back up

    informal equivalent

  • verify

    focuses on checking correctness rather than adding weight

反義詞
  • contradict

    directly opposes the claim

  • refute

    proves something is false through evidence

文法句型

corroborate + noun phrase (account/statement/claim/story)

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice when the evidence or source doing the corroborating is the main focus. The subject is typically evidence, data, a witness, or an account — never a feeling or emotion.

常見錯誤

❌Her sad expression corroborated her mood.
✅Her sad expression matched her mood.
💡'corroborate' is used for facts and evidence, not feelings or personal states.
❌She corroborated with the detective.
✅She corroborated the detective's account of the events.
💡'corroborate' is transitive and takes the thing being supported as object, not a person.

2. To strengthen or confirm a theory, hypothesis, or research finding by providing

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

To strengthen or confirm a theory, hypothesis, or research finding by providing supporting evidence that comes from an independent source.

例句

Paloma's experiment corroborated the hypothesis that music practice improves concentration.

corroborate + hypothesis + that-clause

New satellite data corroborated the team's findings about glacier melting rates.

同義詞
  • validate

    stronger; implies formal confirmation of correctness

  • substantiate

    more formal; implies providing substantial evidence

  • authenticate

    focuses on proving something is genuine or true

反義詞

文法句型

corroborate + noun phrase (hypothesis/theory/findings/results)

用法筆記

Common in academic and research writing. The object is usually a finding, result, hypothesis, or theory — abstract concepts supported by data. Often implies that the confirming evidence comes from a different methodology or independent source.

常見錯誤

❌The experiment corroborated the chemicals.
✅The experiment corroborated the theory about how the chemicals react.
💡'corroborate' takes an abstract claim or finding as object, not a physical object.