ratify

verb

rat·i·fy ˈra-tə-ˌfī

ratified; ratifying

Synonyms of ratify next

transitive verb

: to approve and sanction formally : confirm

ratify a treaty

ratifier

ˈra-tə-ˌfī(-ə)r

noun

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 That group ratified its first union contract last year. —

Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024 Those members ratified their first contract in May 2023. —

William Earl, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024 Catch up quick: 64% of union members voted against ratifying a new contract, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced last night. —

Pete Gannon, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 Shares of Boeing climbed as much as 5% in early trading on Monday, suggesting that many traders expect workers to ratify the deal. —

Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ratify

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ratify.' 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

Middle English ratifien, from Anglo-French ratifier, from Medieval Latin ratificare, from Latin ratus determined, from past participle of reri to calculate — more at reason entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of ratify was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century