well-provenadj.
/wɛlˈpruːvən/, /wɛlˈprəʊvən/, U.S. /ˌwɛlˈpruvən/, Scottish English /wɛlˈprovən/, /wɛlˈpruvən/ Originally Scottish.
Fully demonstrated, tested, or tried; (hence) reliable, trustworthy.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > [adjective] > trusted
well-provedc1325
trustedc1426
betrusteda1466
reliable1569
fiducial1624
well-proven1639
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > reliability > [adjective]
sickerc1100
very1303
certainc1325
trustyc1390
soothfasta1400
surea1400
unfailingc1400
unfailablea1525
unfallible1529
infailable1561
reliable1569
cocksurea1575
faithful1611
infalliblea1616
well-proven1639
unfallida1641
indefailable1693
securea1729
pukka1776
1639 Declinatour & Protestation Pretended Bishops 51 Some personall offences were so well proven, that Commissioners of all ranks were ashamed of their prophanity and lewdnesse.
1702 J. J. Short Answer to Pamphlet against Dr Pitcairn's Diss. 34 Our Author cannot understand demonstrations, or draw conclusions from well proven Theories.
1822 Sporting Mag. Oct. 28/1 The equally well known and formerly well proven decided hostility of many persons of high consequence.
1877 R. W. Raymond Statistics Mines & Mining 283 Old and well-proven mines.
1959 Listener 23 July 150/2 The programmes..were almost identical exercises in the well-proven genre of biographical scrap-book.
1977 Washington Post 14 Nov. a14/6 We're using well-proven, standard technology throughout.
2012 Daily Tel. 24 Feb. 27/4 Supply-side reform of welfare, employment law and planning is a well-proven path to economic renewal.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1639