Corroborate
/kəˈrɒbəˌreɪt/
verbC1
Definition
Corroborate means to confirm or support an idea, statement, or fact by adding more evidence or information that shows it is true. People often use it when they want to make sure something is correct by checking with other sources.
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See It in Action
To support a statement or idea with evidence
- •The witness corroborated the suspect’s story with her own account.
- •Scientists corroborated the results of the experiment with additional data.
- •The documents corroborate his claim that he was not involved.
To confirm the truth or accuracy of something
- •The phone records corroborate his alibi for the night of the crime.
- •New research corroborates earlier studies about climate change.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'corroborate' like 'help prove'—it is more than just saying something; it adds proof that makes the idea stronger.
- ✓Picture two people telling the same story, so their words match and make the story more believable.
- ✓It's the feeling when a friend backs up your story by saying they saw the same thing.
- ✓Sounds like 'co-ROBB-orate' → imagine a team (co-) working together to 'rob' doubts away by giving proof.
- ✓Think of detectives in movies who find extra clues to support what a witness says.
- ✓NOT like 'guess' (which is uncertain); corroborate gives real support and proof.
- ✓NOT like 'say' (just speaking); corroborate means giving facts or evidence that agree with each other.
- ✓NOT like 'argue' (disagree); corroborate means to agree and support.
Try Other Words
- •Confirm: say something is true (Use when you want simple agreement or verification)
- •Support: give help or evidence (Use when you want to show help but not necessarily full proof)
- •Verify: check if something is true (Use when you want to check facts carefully)
- •Validate: show that something is correct or acceptable (Use in formal or technical contexts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix 'co-' means together or with
- •Root 'robor' comes from Latin 'robur,' meaning strength or power
- •Suffix '-ate' is used to make verbs
- •Origin: From Latin 'corroborare,' meaning 'to strengthen together'
- •First used in English in the 1600s to mean making an idea stronger by adding support
- •Today, used mainly in formal or academic language to mean giving evidence that proves something is true
Reflect & Connect
•How can you use corroborate in everyday situations, like telling a story or explaining something?
•Why is it important to corroborate information before believing or sharing it?
Fill in the blanks
1.The witness's statement corroborate ___ the suspect’s story by adding new details.
2.Scientists need to corroborate ___ their findings with other experiments to be sure.
3.When two people corroborate ___ the same event, it becomes more believable.
4.You should not share news until you can corroborate ___ it with reliable sources.
5.The lawyer asked for evidence to corroborate ___ the defendant’s alibi.
6.Corroborate ___ information helps avoid misunderstandings or mistakes.
7.The police found video footage that corroborate ___ the victim’s report of the crime.