Corroborate: support a claim with additional evidence
Corroborate means to support a statement with additional evidence. It comes from Latin corroborare, meaning to strengthen. A receipt can corroborate someone's account of a purchase by independently showing the shop, date and amount, although it may not establish every detail of their story.
Go deeper
Evidence that adds support
Corroborate is a verb. You corroborate a claim, account or finding by supplying evidence that supports it. The word comes from Latin corroborare, meaning to strengthen.
Suppose someone says a parcel arrived on Monday. A dated delivery photograph may corroborate that account. Another person merely repeating the original statement does not necessarily provide independent support.
The usual sentence pattern is straightforward:
- The photograph corroborates her account.
- The records corroborated the reported arrival time.
Corroboration is not automatically complete proof. A photograph could support the delivery date without showing what was inside the parcel. Name the particular detail supported rather than suggesting that one piece of evidence settles every related question.