Synonym Chooser

How does the verb authenticate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of authenticate are confirm, corroborate, substantiate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When might confirm be a better fit than authenticate?

While the synonyms confirm and authenticate are close in meaning, confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

Where would corroborate be a reasonable alternative to authenticate?

The words corroborate and authenticate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

In what contexts can substantiate take the place of authenticate?

The words substantiate and authenticate can be used in similar contexts, but substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

When is it sensible to use validate instead of authenticate?

While in some cases nearly identical to authenticate, validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When can verify be used instead of authenticate?

Although the words verify and authenticate have much in common, verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of authenticate Though it had been authenticated by the museum before heading to auction, things changed when museum specialists were asked to verify a similar painting of a Nuenen peasant woman that had been submitted by a French owner in 2019. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024 Thus began a decades-long journey to authenticate the signature on the artwork. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 2 Oct. 2024 The next step is to agree to the terms, then double-click the side button and authenticate the transaction with Face ID or Touch ID to confirm the purchase. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 21 Oct. 2024 As a baseline, your essential device and application files should be authenticated and protected against unwanted changes through read-only protection. Stephanie Domas, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for authenticate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authenticate
Verb
  • But beating the Eagles — on the road and in a short week — would certify Washington in a way the previous 10 weeks haven’t.
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The effort to deny Trump’s 2020 defeat centered on the role of Congress, each January 6th after an election year, in certifying the results of the Electoral College.
    The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Finally, 93% of the deliveries were completed with no attempt to verify the buyer’s age.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Educating employees—especially those in finance roles—about the risks of fraudulent invoices and how to verify payment requests would be wise for organizations to prioritize in light of novel cyberattacks like this.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Neither candidate is an incumbent, guaranteeing someone new will be joining the school board.
    Alexcia Negrete, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024
  • The 2023 event itself was a great display of the game’s top players competing in round robin competition and guaranteeing semi-finals quality matches throughout the weekend.
    Todd Boss, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Zhenya also checks the public records of all 50 states and confirms that he is not licensed to practice architecture anywhere in the U.S. and thus legally can’t call himself an architect.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The world is currently experiencing a fourth global coral bleaching event, with mass bleaching confirmed in at least 62 countries and territories worldwide from 2023 to early 2024, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    Peter Guo, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The pastor-film producer has been quietly spotted out with his new lady, but didn’t formally affirm his relationship until Saturday (Nov. 2) at the 14th Annual Merge Awards.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Clips show Harris affirming her support for federal policies that allow federal prisoners access to medical care including gender-affirming hormone treatments and, potentially, transgender surgery.
    Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Barish also discovered that the organization Open House NY, where Han Lo had claimed to be executive director of a Los Angeles division in order to make his way into the Colonial — going as far as to build a website, now apparently deleted, attesting to his job there — had never heard of him.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • As anyone who has ever played in the rain can attest, everything about the ball feels differently as the leather gets wet.
    Don Yaeger, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near authenticate

Cite this Entry

“Authenticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authenticate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on authenticate

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