proof

«proof» in Mova's school dictionary: true — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (proof, proofs — usually uncountable); adjective (-proof in compounds: waterproof, childproof)

meaning for a pupil

1) Facts or evidence that show something is true. tree →

2) In maths, a set of clear steps that shows a statement must be true. tree →

3) Added to a word, "-proof" means protected against something: waterproof, soundproof, childproof. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science, proof means evidence from tests or observations. In maths, a proof explains why something is always true, not just for one example. In stories and detective tales, the detective looks for proof of who did it. In everyday life, you may need proof of age or proof of payment such as a receipt. Phrases: proof of, the proof that, waterproof jacket, childproof lid, bulletproof.

examples

• Do you have proof that you finished your homework? tree →
• The footprints were proof that a fox had visited. tree →
• My coat is waterproof, so I stayed dry. tree →
• Medicine bottles have childproof lids. tree →
• The teacher showed a proof that the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees. tree →
• Keep the receipt as proof that you paid. tree →
• One example is not proof that a rule always works. tree →

note

Usually uncountable: "some proof", "no proof"; in maths it is countable: "two proofs". The verb is "prove". Trap: one example does not prove a rule; a counterexample can disprove it. "-proof" words like "waterproof" mean something stops water getting in, not that it is "proved". "Childproof" means hard for small children to open, not impossible.

In the corpora

• Being arrested means the police think someone may have committed a crime and will question them; it is not yet proof.
• When two stories contradict each other and there is no proof, the honest answer is «we don't know».
• AI helps scammers write perfect emails, so good spelling is no longer proof a message is real.
• The lawyers trusted the chatbot because it sounded so sure, and sounding sure is not proof.
• Confident writing makes people trust it, but confidence is not proof.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «proof» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.