论证

• Pinyin: lùn zhèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 论 = 言 (speech) + 仑 (orderly reasoning); 证 = 讠 (speech) + 正 (correct/upright) — to speak with correctness, to prove

Meaning

Demonstrate through reasoning; prove by logical argument; provide evidence and reasoning to support a claim or thesis.

Key academic and legal term. 可行性论证 (feasibility demonstration), 逻辑论证 (logical argument), 充分论证 (thoroughly argue). Also used in policy-making: 项目论证 (project justification). Emphasises structured, evidence-based reasoning.

Examples

1. 这篇博士论文通过大量实证数据论证了教育投入对经济增长的显著正向影响。 Using extensive empirical data, this doctoral dissertation demonstrates the significant positive impact of educational investment on economic growth.
2. 律师在庭审中通过详细的证据链论证了被告当时不在案发现场的事实。 In court, the lawyer used a detailed chain of evidence to prove that the defendant was not at the scene at the time of the crime.
3. 哲学家尝试用多种逻辑路径来论证自由意志与决定论是否真正相互矛盾。 The philosopher tries multiple lines of reasoning to argue whether free will and determinism are truly incompatible.

Usage Guide

Context: academia, law, policy, philosophy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 研究团队通过多年的跨文化对比实验，有力论证了双语教育对儿童认知灵活性发展的积极促进作用。(Through years of cross-cultural comparative experiments, the research team powerfully demonstrated the positive role of bilingual education in promoting cognitive flexibility in children.)
• 政府在推行新的城市规划方案之前，必须经过严格的可行性论证，以确保方案在经济、环境和社会层面上均具备充分依据。(Before implementing a new urban planning scheme, the government must undergo rigorous feasibility demonstration to ensure the scheme has a sound basis economically, environmentally, and socially.)

Don't Say

• 将论证与证明混用 — 论证 emphasises the process of building a reasoned argument; 证明 focuses more narrowly on proving a fact or theorem as true

Origin & History

论 (discuss, theory) + 证 (prove, evidence) — to prove through reasoned discussion

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated