Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Easter eggs (New!)

Literary notes about Proved (AI summary)

In literature, the word "proved" is a versatile term used to indicate the process of demonstrating truth, validating character, or confirming an event through evidence or experience. Writers employ it to mark the moment when a claim is substantiated—whether it be a personal failing or achievement, as in a character admitting to shortcomings [1] or the confirmation of a knight’s valor [2]. It appears in both objective, evidentiary contexts—such as establishing the boundaries of a district [3] or confirming theories [4]—and in more narrative or evaluative frameworks, where a soldier’s or leader’s worth is revealed through action [5] or a plot twist unfolds [6]. Moreover, in philosophical and analytical texts, "proved" is used to lend a sense of rigor to arguments, as seen in the writings of Hume [7] or Nietzsche [8]. Across these varied examples, the term serves as a linchpin in transitioning from uncertainty to conviction, grounding both the factual and the dramatic in a demonstrable reality.
  1. “Say, rather, I would have watched, but my treacherous eyes betrayed me; twice have I proved myself unfit for the trust I bear.”
    — from The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
  2. Ah, Nerovens de Lile, said Sir Launcelot, I am right glad that ye are proved a good knight, for now wit
    — from Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Sir Thomas Malory
  3. During the summer it was proved by means of a survey that the spot where Sharp had been killed was within the District of Newcastle.
    — from Toronto of Old by Henry Scadding
  4. Experience has proved that the best way to cover a siege is to beat and pursue as far as possible the enemy's forces which could interfere.
    — from The Art of War by baron de Antoine Henri Jomini
  5. Generals Scott and Taylor proved themselves soldiers and patriots in the field, but Washington was fatal to both.
    — from Memoirs of General William T. Sherman — Complete by William T. Sherman
  6. I got her through my old friend, Blandly, who has proved himself throughout the most surprising trump.
    — from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  7. The same truth may be proved still more evidently by that reasoning, which proved justice in general to be an artificial virtue.
    — from A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume
  8. As if truth were proved by the mere fact that man survives!
    — from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book III and IV by Nietzsche

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux