Who needs homologate? We have any number of words that mean "to officially approve something": accredit, affirm, approbate, authorize, certify, confirm, endorse, ratify, sanction, validate, and warrant, to name a few. Homologate has mostly been kept for special occasions. The beauty of homologate is that, etymologically speaking, it's an easy word, consisting as it does of the familiar Greek roots homos, meaning "alike" or "same," and logos, meaning "word" or "speech"—in other words, it suggests saying the same thing. No argument here.
to be effectual, a judge must homologate the plea bargain between the district attorney and the defense
Recent Examples on the WebPricing and Which One to Buy While the Valkyrie has been homologated for street use in other countries, Aston Martin will sell it in the United States only for track use.—Car and Driver, 7 Mar. 2023 The coupe, called the DB7 Zagato and of which 99 examples were made, was never homologated for sale stateside, which is a pity, given its exquisite shape and ultimate rarity.—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2023 Competing in the series required a manufacturer to homologate at least 200 units, which means that today, there are many examples for collectors interested in owning these high-strung racers.—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2022 It was born out of the need to homologate the 429 semi-hemispherical engine the automaker was using in its NASCAR racers.—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 28 June 2022 While the Spéirling is currently designed for track use, McMurtry wants to homologate it for the road.—Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 27 June 2022 Porsche’s first 911 Turbo came to market in 1975, with the factory needing 400 examples to homologate its 911 for Group 4 racing.—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2022 Born of the need to homologate the 911 GT3 Cup racer's control-arm front suspension, the strut-type layout that 911s have used since the 1960s is tossed aside for this model.—Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 20 Apr. 2021 Porsche paleontologists who dig into the 911 fossil record can trace the DNA of the GT3 to the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, a limited run made in Touring and Sport configuration to homologate a lightweight 911 for competition.—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homologate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Medieval Latin homologatus, past participle of homologare to agree, from Greek homologein, from homologos
Share