proof

proof — noun

1. facts or documents that establish beyond doubt that a particular claim is true o

1.名詞B2
釋義

facts or documents that establish beyond doubt that a particular claim is true or that a given situation exists

例句

The police found proof that Noa had been at the bank that morning.

proof + that-clause for factual certainty

Scientists are still searching for proof of ancient life on the red planet.

proof of + noun phrase

同義詞
  • evidence

    wider term; evidence suggests something may be true, while proof aims to establish it beyond doubt

  • confirmation

    focuses on verifying something already suspected or known

  • verification

    more formal; often used in scientific or technical contexts

反義詞
  • disproof

    formal term for evidence that shows something is false

文法句型

proof + that-clause

proof of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Uncountable in most contexts ('We need proof'), but countable when referring to specific documents or pieces of evidence ('She collected several proofs of her identity').

常見錯誤

❌I have a proof that he is lying.
✅I have proof that he is lying.
💡'proof' is usually uncountable; don't add 'a' unless referring to a specific document.
❌There is no prove that she was there.
✅There is no proof that she was there.
💡'proof' is a noun; 'prove' is the verb form.

2. a formal chain of reasoning that confirms the correctness of a mathematical clai

2.名詞B2
釋義

a formal chain of reasoning that confirms the correctness of a mathematical claim or scientific proposition

例句

The mathematician published her proof of the theorem in a leading journal.

proof of + abstract concept

Students had to write a complete proof for each geometry problem on the exam.

complete / write a proof

同義詞
  • demonstration

    broader term; can refer to showing how something works, not just logical reasoning

  • argument

    less formal; may not have the same rigor as a mathematical proof

用法筆記

Countable — you can say 'a proof' or 'proofs' in this sense. Unlike sense 1, this refers to a structured logical argument rather than general evidence.

3. an early printed version of a book or article that writers and editors examine a

3.名詞B1
釋義

an early printed version of a book or article that writers and editors examine and correct prior to the production of the finished publication

例句

The editor sent the proof back to the printer with several corrections marked in red.

send a proof back for corrections

Stephanie was asked to check the page proofs of her novel before the deadline.

page proofs (compound noun)

同義詞
  • galley proof

    a specific type of early proof, usually in a single column before page layout

  • page proof

    a proof arranged in final page format

用法筆記

Common in publishing and journalism. Related verbs are 'proofread' (to check proofs) and 'proof' (to make something waterproof — a different sense).

常見錯誤

❌I need to proof the document for errors.
✅I need to proofread the document for errors.
💡'proof' as a verb in publishing is rare; use 'proofread'.

4. a system of measuring how much alcohol is in a drink, where a higher number mean

4.名詞C1
釋義

a system of measuring how much alcohol is in a drink, where a higher number means stronger alcohol; in the US, 100 proof equals 50% alcohol by volume

例句

This bottle of bourbon is 80 proof, which is standard for most whiskeys.

number + proof (measurement phrase)

The bartender warned that 100 proof rum is much stronger than the usual kind people mix with cola.

用法筆記

The US and UK systems differ slightly. In the UK, proof historically referred to a specific gravity test, but modern labeling uses alcohol-by-volume (ABV) instead. In everyday US conversation, the proof number is simply double the ABV percentage.

proof — adjective

proof — verb

proof — suffix