Navigation
Home
Resources
Irregular verbs quizzes English conjugator English-French dictionary French dictionary English dictionary Monolingual dictionaries Scores by institution Free sample tests FAQ Pricing Tourism training Blog Videos
Login Sign up
Blog
Videos
Pricing
FR EN

corroborate

verb, adj — 4 senses

corroborate

verb

UK /kəˈɹɒbəɹeɪ̯t/ · US /kəˈɹɑbəɹeɪ̯t/

Etymology First attested in the 1530s; borrowed from Latin corrōborātus (“strengthened”), perfect passive participle of corrōborō (“to support, corroborate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“together”) + rōborō (“to strengthen”), from rōbur, rōboris (“strength”). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English, otherwise archaic.

1

To confirm or support something with additional evidence; to attest or vouch for.

  • The concurrence of all […]corroborates the same truth.1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, →OCLC:
  • First, the fireman may be killed. Second, he may not notice the signal at all. Third, in any case he will loyally corroborate his driver and the good old jury will discount that.1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
2

To make strong; to strengthen.

  • As any limb well and duly exercised, grows stronger, the nerves of the body are corroborated thereby.1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC:
Derived terms
corroborable, corroborative, corroborator

corroborate

adj

UK /kəˈrɒbərət/

Etymology First attested in the 1530s; borrowed from Latin corrōborātus (“strengthened”), perfect passive participle of corrōborō (“to support, corroborate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“together”) + rōborō (“to strengthen”), from rōbur, rōboris (“strength”). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English, otherwise archaic.

1

Obsolete, As a participle Corroborated.

  • There is no Truſting to the Force of Nature, nor to the Brauery of Words; except it be Corroborate by Cuſtome.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Custome and Education”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, page 131:
2

Obsolete, As a participial adjective Vigorous, grown strong.

  • But how unjust this traducement is (if you will reduce things from popularity of opinion to measure of reason) may appear in that we see men are more curious what they put into a new vessel than into a vessel seasoned, and what mould they lay about a young plant than about a plant corroborate; […]a. 1627 (date written), Francis Bacon, “Of the Advancement of Learning”, in James Spedding, Robert Leslie Ellis, and Douglas Denon Heath, editors, The Works of Francis Bacon, […], volume III, London: Longman and Co.; […], published 1857, →OCLC, page 276:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

Learn more