Beweis
German
Etymology
From the verb beweisen.
Pronunciation
Noun
Beweis m (strong, genitive Beweises, plural Beweise)
- (countable) proof
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 23/2010, page 75:
- Erst in den neunziger Jahren etablierte sich die sogenannte evidenzbasierte Medizin, die systematisch nach Beweisen für die Wirksamkeit von Medikamenten sucht.
- Only in the '90s did the so-called evidence-based medicine establish itself, which systematically searches for proof for the effectiveness of medical drugs.
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 23/2010, page 75:
- (mathematics) proof
- (in the plural) evidence, proof (collectively)
Usage notes
- Generally, a Beweis is understood to be one piece of evidence that suffices to prove something. The plural Beweise can refer either to a plurality of such sufficient proofs, or to pieces of evidence that become proof by their combination. Therefore the German plural is often equivalent to the English uncountable singular. For example: Es gibt Beweise für die Entdeckung Amerikas durch die Wikinger. (“There is proof for the Vikings’ discovery of America.”)
- The singular is used in German as in English for an intellectual study aimed at proving something, as in ein mathematischer Beweis (“a mathematical proof”).
Declension
Declension of Beweis [masculine, strong]