Usage note Either proved or proven is standard as the past participle of prove: Events have proved (or proven) him wrong. As a modifier, proven is by far the more common: a proven fact.
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to establish or demonstrate the truth or validity of; verify, esp by using an established sequence of procedures or statements
2.
to establish the quality of, esp by experiment or scientific analysis
3.
law to establish the validity and genuineness of (a will)
4.
to show (oneself) able or courageous
5.
(copula) to be found or shown (to be): this has proved useless; he proved to be invaluable
6.
printing to take a trial impression of (type, etc)
7.
(intr) (of dough) to rise in a warm place before baking
8.
archaic to undergo
[C12: from Old French prover, from Latin probāre to test, from probus honest]
c.1175, prouwe, from O.Fr. prover (11c.), from L. probare "to test, prove worthy," from probus "worthy, good, upright, virtuous," from PIE *pro-bhwo- "being in front," from *pro-, extended form of base *per-, + base *bhu- "to be" (cf. L. fui "I have been," futurus "about to be;" O.E. beon "to be;" see