establish

Compared meaning: to create or start an organization or thing (verb).

比较义项：建立、创办（机构、组织或事物）（动词）。

• establish 本词

  Establish emphasizes building something so it becomes stable, permanent, and recognized, such as a business, rule, or reputation; it stresses the lasting result, not the initial founding act.

  establish强调把某件事物建立起来，使其变得稳固、持久并获得认可，比如生意、规则或声誉；它侧重最终的持久结果，而不是最初的创立行为。

  The founders worked for years to establish trust with their customers.

  创始人们努力多年，以在客户中建立信任。

• launch

  Launch highlights the moment something new is introduced or started, especially a product, service, or campaign; it focuses on the beginning, not whether the thing lasts.

  launch强调某个新事物被推出或开始的那一刻，尤指产品、服务或活动；它关注的是开端，而不在意这件事物是否会持续下去。

  The startup plans to launch a new app next month.

  这家初创公司计划下个月推出一款新应用。

• found

  Found means to create an organization, company, or institution from nothing, often as its original founder; it's common in passive form ('was founded in') and pairs with institutions, not general businesses or products.

  found指从无到有创建一个机构、公司或组织，通常强调是最初的创始人；常用被动式（如“was founded in”），搭配机构类名词，而不是一般的生意或产品。

  Two engineers founded the company back in 2005.

  两位工程师在2005年创立了这家公司。

All three mean to create or start something. Establish stresses making something stable and lasting, like a business or reputation. Launch highlights the moment something new begins, like a product or campaign. Found means to create an institution from nothing, often as its original founder.

这三个词在“创建或开始某事物”这一意义上相近，但侧重不同：establish强调使其稳固持久，launch强调推出新事物的那一刻，found强调从无到有创立机构。此处不比较found作为find的过去式和过去分词的用法。

Compared meaning: to show that something is true (verb).

比较义项：证明、表明某事是真实的（动词）。

• demonstrate

  Demonstrate shows something clearly through evidence, examples, or actions; it is common in science and teaching, and can also mean showing how to do something, not just proving a fact.

  demonstrate 通过证据、实例或实际操作清楚地展示某事，常用于科学和教学场合，除了“证明”外，也可以指“演示如何做某事”，而不只是证明一个事实。

  The chart demonstrates how sales rose steadily throughout the year.

  这张图表清楚地表明，销售额在这一年中稳步上升。

• prove

  Prove is the strongest, most everyday word, claiming something is definitely and conclusively true; common in arguments, debates, math, and legal contexts.

  prove 是三者中语气最强、最日常的词，表示某事绝对、确凿地真实，常用于争论、辩论、数学和法律语境中。

  Everyone knows the earth is round, so you don't need to prove it.

  大家都知道地球是圆的，所以你不需要证明这一点。

• establish 本词

  Establish suggests building up a fact as certain through careful investigation or accumulated evidence over time; it is more formal, often legal, journalistic, or scientific.

  establish 表示通过仔细调查或长期积累的证据，使某个事实被确立为真，语气更正式，常见于法律、新闻或科学写作。

  Investigators spent months trying to establish the real cause of the fire.

  调查人员花了几个月的时间，试图确定火灾的真正原因。

All three mean to show that something is true. Prove is the strongest, claiming something is definitely true. Establish suggests building up a fact as certain through careful investigation; formal, often legal or scientific. Demonstrate is weaker, and can mean showing how to do something.

这三个词在“证明、表明某事为真”这一意义上很接近，但语气和场合不同：prove 语气最强，表示确凿无疑地证明；establish 强调通过调查或长期努力使某个事实被确立，语域较正式；demonstrate 语气较弱，除了“证明”外还可以指通过实例或操作清楚地“演示、说明”某事，不一定强调最终结论的确定性。establish 另有“创办、建立（公司、机构等）”的义项，这里不比较。