preuves

Preuves, the French plural of preuve, is the noun meaning evidence or proof. It covers multiple items of evidence or arguments and functions across domains such as law, mathematics, philosophy, and everyday language, where it describes factors that establish truth, justify belief, or support claims.

Derived from Latin probare “to test, to prove,” the term entered Old French as preuve or prover; in modern French it denotes both the act of proving and the evidence that supports a conclusion.

In legal usage, une preuve is something that proves a fact in a case. Evidence can be oral testimony, documents, physical exhibits, or digital records. The persuasive force depends on the jurisdiction’s standard of proof; criminal cases typically require beyond a reasonable doubt, while civil cases may rely on a preponderance of the evidence or balance of probabilities.

In mathematics and related disciplines, a preuve (proof) is a logical argument derived from axioms and previously established theorems that establishes a statement as true. French-language texts distinguish proofs from conjectures, and proofs may be direct, by contradiction, by contrapositive, or constructive. A proof must be rigorous within the accepted formal system.

In philosophy and epistemology, proofs are arguments intended to justify beliefs or knowledge claims. Debates may question the necessity or sufficiency of proofs, and some disciplines treat empirical evidence differently from logical proof.

See also: evidence, proof, demonstration, axioms, theorem.