Proved is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb prove, which means to show evidence for something.Is it proven or proved? The confusion around these two words surrounds their use as a past participle. Since proved and default both contain the letter D, you should find it easy to remember that proved is the default past participle of prove. style guides like The AP Stylebook still make the preference quite clear. You should probably also default to proved with American audiences since major U.S.

With British audiences, proved is still probably a better choice since it is much more widely used than proven. Some places discourage its use, while others do not. Even though proved has a longer history as a past participle and is used more often, there is no universal rule against using proven. Both proved and proven are commonly used as past participles. Another easy choice.įor past participles, though, the situation is not so clear. Similarly, if you need a simple past verb, proved is the only correct word. If you need an adjective, proven is your only choice. As you can see below, in this specific phrase, proven is much more common than proved. It should be noted, however, that the phrase innocent until proven guilty is so common that it must count as an exception to this rule. Proved is still ahead across World English, but the two uses might eventually meet.Īs for today’s writing, especially formal writing, it is best to stick to the traditional rule that AP Style lays down. proved in English books since the year 1800. That said, the usage of proven as past participle has grown in recent years. Use proven only as an adjective: a proven remedy. Both are correct and can be used more or less interchangeably.Īs with most usage debates, not everyone agrees.

“I resent this line of questioning, because I have already proven these accusations to be false,” said the defendant.įor complex historical reasons, prove developed two past participles: proved and proven.

“I have proven my critics wrong beyond any shadow of a doubt,” asserted the comeback player of the year.

This is much more common in American English than British English (In British English, proved remains the sole standard past participle.) Occasionally, some writers use proven instead of proved as the past participle form of prove. It is not clear that plasma exchange helps.

There is no proven treatment, he said.

“I don’t want Carol as an administrative liaison she is a proven liability,” said Marcus.

Major league baseball managers entrust their late-inning bullpen work to proven performers who will get outs without allowing runs.

Prove without a shadow of doubt