If you reprove someone, you speak angrily or seriously to them because they have behaved in a wrong or foolish way. `There's no call for talk like that,' Mrs Evans reproved him Women were reproved if they did not wear hats in court. = admonish. to criticize someone for something that they have done = tell off reprove sb for (doing) sth (reprover, from reprobare , from probare; PROBE)
[ ri-'prüv ] (verb.) 14th century. Middle English, from Middle French reprover, from Late Latin reprobare to disapprove, condemn, from Latin re- + probare to test, approve; more at PROVE.