Corroborate
One witness is a story; receipts, timestamps, and a second source are how arguments become evidence.
Learn This WordMeaning
To confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding by providing evidence.
Memory trick
Think “CORROBORATE” = “co-ROBUr-ate”, to make something stronger with supporting evidence.
Examples
The security footage corroborated his account of events.
Several studies corroborate the link between sleep and memory.
Her teammate corroborated the story during the interview.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin corroborare "to strengthen," from com- "together" + roborare "to strengthen," from robur "strength."
Usage Notes
Common in journalism, research, and legal contexts where claims must be supported by evidence.
Real-life contexts
Use in analysis: "Do we have data to corroborate that?"
Use in storytelling: "The witness corroborated the timeline."
Use in work: "Can we corroborate this metric with another source?"
Common Mistakes
Corroborate is used for evidence supporting a claim, not for the claim itself. You corroborate a statement with evidence.
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Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
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