Prouvent

Prouvent is the third person plural present indicative form of the French verb prouver, meaning “to prove.” The form is used in sentences describing that a group or multiple subjects demonstrates something as true or provides evidence. As a conjugated form, prouvent does not exist independently as a lexical entry in dictionaries; it is one variation of the verb prouver used with a plural subject.

Etymology and classification: prouver comes from the Latin probare, via Old French, with the modern form developing in medieval French. The verb is part of the broader class of French -oir verbs that express proving or demonstrating and is commonly associated with evidence, justification, and confirmation.

Usage: In present tense, ils prouvent means “they prove.” It is used in legal, scientific, rhetorical, and everyday contexts to indicate that evidence supports a claim or conclusion. For example, “Ils prouvent leur théorie avec des données expérimentales.” The form can also appear in subordinate clauses, as in “Ceux qui doutent prouvent leur point par des chiffres.”

Conjugation notes: The present tense forms of prouver include je prouve, tu prouves, il prouve, nous prouvons, vous prouvez, ils prouvent. The past participle is prouvé, used in composed tenses (j’ai prouvé) and in adjectival phrases (preuve). Related terms include démontrer and établir, which convey similar notions of establishing truth or validity.

See also: prouver, démontrer, établir.