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corroborate

/kəˈrɒb.ə.reɪt/
IELTSAcademic
verb
  1. 1.

    to give support or proof to something, making it more believable.

    • The report corroborates the witness's account.
    • She tried to corroborate his story with emails.
    • The data corroborate earlier findings.
  2. 2.

    to confirm or support with additional information or evidence.

    • Additional documents corroborate his version.
    • Forensic tests corroborate the theory.

Adinary Nuance

Near-neighbors: corroborate is stronger than simply confirm, and more fact-focused than verify. Writers choose corroborate when presenting evidence that strengthens a claim, rather than general agreement.

In other languages

Spanish
corroborar
Japanese
裏付ける
Korean
입증하다
Vietnamese
xác thực
Chinese
证实

Etymology

Late Latin corroborat‑, from corroborare ‘strengthen’, from com‑ ‘with’ + robur ‘strength’. The Latin root explains its careful use to add strength to claims.

Common phrases

corroborate the evidencecorroborate a storycorroborate with facts

Synonyms

confirmverifyvalidatebacksupport

Related words

confirmevidencesupportvalidateverify

Frequently asked questions

Is corroborate formal or informal?
Is corroborate formal or informal?
What is the difference between corroborate and confirm?
What is the difference between corroborate and confirm?
Can corroborate be used with evidence or stories?
Can corroborate be used with evidence or stories?
Is corroborate common in academic writing?
Is corroborate common in academic writing?