ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī 
ratified; ratifying
: to approve and sanction formally : confirm
ratify a treaty
Examples of ratify in a Sentence
A number of countries have refused to ratify the treaty.
Lincoln's home state of Illinois was the first to ratify the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provided for the abolition of slavery.
Recent Examples on the Web
The provision was ratified in the late nineteen-eighties, but conservatives allied with the country’s agricultural lobby have long impeded its enforcement.
—
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1951 following the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms between 1933 and 1945.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
More challenging has been how Newcastle have needed to conduct shadow negotiations with other non-PIF companies to prove FMV, so that the Premier League would ratify their deals.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
It was ratified in 1977, but enforcement didn’t pick up until about 20 years ago.
—Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratify
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Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1951 following the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms between 1933 and 1945.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
More challenging has been how Newcastle have needed to conduct shadow negotiations with other non-PIF companies to prove FMV, so that the Premier League would ratify their deals.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
It was ratified in 1977, but enforcement didn’t pick up until about 20 years ago.
—Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratify
Cite this Entry
“Ratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratify. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈrat-ə-ˌfī
ratified; ratifying
: to give legal or official approval to
ratify a treaty
Legal Definition
ratify
transitive verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī
ratified; ratifying
: to make valid or effective
especially
: to adopt or affirm (as the prior act or contract of an agent) by express or implied consent with the effect of original authorization
unable to rescind the contract because he ratified it by accepting the benefits
compare reform
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