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Prove vs Claim - What's the difference?

prove | claim |

In intransitive terms the difference between prove and claim

is that prove is to turn out; to manifest while claim is to be entitled to anything; to deduce a right or title; to have a claim.

As verbs the difference between prove and claim

is that prove is to demonstrate that something is true or viable; to give proof for while claim is to demand ownership of.

As a noun claim is

a demand of ownership made for something (e.g. claim ownership, claim victory).

prove

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) proven, from (etyl) . More at (l), (l), (l).

Alternative forms

* proove

Verb

  • To demonstrate that something is true or viable; to give proof for.
  • {{quote-Fanny Hill, part=3 , Mr. H …, whom no distinctions of that sort seemed to disturb, scarce gave himself or me breathing time from the last encounter, but, as if he had task'd himself to prove that the appearances of his vigour were not signs hung out in vain, in a few minutes he was in a condition for renewing the onset}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=August 5, author=Nathan Rabin
  • , title= TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993) , passage=Valentine’s Day means different things for different people. For Homer, it means forking over a hundred dollars for a dusty box of chocolates at the Kwik-E-Mart after characteristically forgetting the holiday yet again. For Ned, it’s another opportunity to prove his love for his wife. Most germane to the episode, for Lisa, Valentine’s Day means being the only person in her entire class to give Ralph a Valentine after noticing him looking crestfallen and alone at his desk.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=(Gary Younge)
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution , passage=WikiLeaks did not cause these uprisings but it certainly informed them. The dispatches revealed details of corruption and kleptocracy that many Tunisians suspected, but could not prove , and would cite as they took to the streets. They also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies.}}
  • To turn out; to manifest.
  • (copulative) To turn out to be.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 5, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , passage=He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on, with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive.}}
  • To put to the test, to make trial of.
  • To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of; to verify.
  • to prove a will
  • (archaic) To experience
  • * Spenser
  • Where she, captived long, great woes did prove .
  • (printing, dated, transitive) To take a trial impression of; to take a proof of.
  • to prove a page
    Derived terms
    * disprovability * disprovable, disprovably * disprove * disproved, disproven * exception that proves the rule * provability * provable * provably * prove out * prover * proving ground * unprovability * unprovable * unprovably * unprove * unproved * unproven

    Etymology 2

    Simple past form of proove, conjugated in the Germanic strong declension, on the pattern of choose ? chose.

    Verb

    (head)
  • (proove)
  • Statistics

    *

    claim

    English

    Alternative forms

    * claym (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A demand of ownership made for something (e.g. claim ownership, claim victory).
  • A new statement of truth made about something, usually when the statement has yet to be verified.
  • A demand of ownership for previously unowned land (e.g. in the gold rush, oil rush)
  • (legal) A legal demand for compensation or damages.
  • Usage notes

    * Demand ownership of land not previously owned. One usually stakes a claim. * The legal sense. One usually makes a claim. See

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To demand ownership of.
  • To state a new fact, typically without providing evidence to prove it is true.
  • To demand ownership or right to use for land.
  • (legal) To demand compensation or damages through the courts.
  • To be entitled to anything; to deduce a right or title; to have a claim.
  • * John Locke
  • We must know how the first ruler, from whom anyone claims , came by his authority.
  • To proclaim.
  • (Spenser)
  • To call or name.
  • (Spenser)

    Anagrams

    * English reporting verbs ----