verifiable

verifiable — adjective

1. Describes information, a claim, or evidence that can be shown to be true or corr

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

Describes information, a claim, or evidence that can be shown to be true or correct by examining the facts.

Example

Nia said the data from her experiment was verifiable by other labs.

be + verifiable + by [agent]

The detective looked for verifiable evidence before making an arrest.

attributive: verifiable + [noun]

Common collocations
  • verifiable evidence
  • verifiable data
  • verifiable claim
  • verifiable fact
  • verifiable source
  • verifiable by
  • verifiable through
  • verifiable from
Synonyms
  • provable

    Stronger logical certainty; used for mathematical or philosophical proofs rather than empirical checking.

  • confirmable

    Very close in meaning; often used when checking against an existing record or source.

  • demonstrable

    Emphasizes showing or presenting proof visibly, not just checking facts.

Antonyms
  • unverifiable

    Direct opposite; cannot be checked or proven.

  • unsubstantiated

    Lacks supporting evidence, often used for accusations or rumors.

Grammar Patterns

be + verifiable + by/through/from [source]

verifiable + noun

Usage Note

Verifiable is most common in formal, academic, legal, or scientific writing. In everyday conversation, speakers often prefer phrases like 'can be checked' or 'can be proven.' The nouns 'evidence,' 'claim,' 'data,' and 'fact' are its most frequent collocates.

Common Mistakes

I need a verifiable phone number for the form.
I need a phone number that I can check for the form.
'verifiable' is used for claims, evidence, or data that can be proven true or false, not for simple contact details.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that can be shown to be true, but they differ in context and emphasis. Provable is the strongest — it suggests logical or mathematical certainty, such as a provable theorem. Confirmable is the closest neighbour to verifiable, but it often implies checking against an existing record or expectation, like a confirmable reservation. Demonstrable stresses the act of showing or exhibiting proof visibly, such as demonstrable skill in a job interview, whereas verifiable focuses on whether a fact, claim, or piece of data can be checked by examining evidence. Scientists say a result is verifiable if other labs can repeat the experiment; they say a theorem is provable if it follows from axioms. Use verifiable when the emphasis is on the possibility of checking, rather than on logical certainty or visible demonstration.

provableconfirmabledemonstrable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • verifiable evidence
  • verifiable data
  • verifiable claim
  • verifiable fact
  • verifiable source
  • verifiable information

Adverbs

  • easily verifiable
  • independently verifiable
  • readily verifiable

Prepositions

  • verifiable by
  • verifiable through
  • verifiable from

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Verifiable comes from the Latin word verificare, which means 'to make true.' Verificare was formed from verus ('true') and facere ('to make'). It passed through French as vérifiable and entered English in the 1500s. The modern sense — 'able to be shown to be true or correct by checking' — became common in scientific and legal writing from the 17th century onward.