検証

• Reading: けんしょう
• Romaji: kensho
• Kanji breakdown: 検 (ken) — to examine, to inspect; 証 (sho) — evidence, proof
• Pronunciation: /keɴ.ɕoː/

Meaning

Verification; validation; testing; inspection. The process of confirming that something is true, accurate, or meets specified requirements.

A central concept in science, engineering, law, and technology. In science, 仮説の検証 (hypothesis verification) is the empirical core of the scientific method. In software engineering, 検証 (verification — is the system built correctly?) is distinguished from 妥当性確認 (validation — is the correct system built?). In legal contexts, 現場検証 (scene investigation) refers to forensic examination. The verb form is 検証する, and 検証可能性 (verifiability) is a key criterion of scientific claims.

Examples

1. 理論の正しさを証明するためには、実験による厳密な検証が不可欠だ。 To prove the correctness of a theory, rigorous verification through experimentation is indispensable.
2. ソフトウェアの開発では、各機能を系統的に検証することで品質を確保する。 In software development, quality is ensured by systematically verifying each function.
3. 研究チームは新しい治療法の効果を大規模な臨床試験によって検証した。 The research team verified the efficacy of the new treatment through a large-scale clinical trial.

Usage Guide

Context: science, engineering, law, software development, medicine

Tone: technical, academic

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound: 検 (ken) — to examine, to inspect + 証 (sho) — evidence, proof, certification. 検 is used in 検査 (inspection), 検討 (examination), 検出 (detection). The compound emphasises the gathering of evidence to confirm something.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji-Modern

Generation: Adult

Social background: Educated