birth certificate

American  

noun

1. an official form recording the birth of a baby and containing pertinent data, as name, sex, date, place, and parents.

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birth certificate British  

noun

1. an official form giving details of the time and place of a person's birth, and his or her name, sex, mother's name and (usually) father's name

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Etymology

Origin of birth certificate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The Guardian reported that the private investigators attempted to access the alleged victim’s private travel history and her son’s birth certificate, and uncovered some of her online passwords.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

During an appointment at the base, the couple presented Ramos's birth certificate, Honduran passport, their marriage license and Blank's military identification.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Until now, a valid birth certificate had been sufficient to establish a person’s U.S. citizenship.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The Center for American Progress found that over 69 million female citizens over 15 do not have a birth certificate that matches their legal name because of a name change or hyphenation.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

I clutched my eighth-grade report card filled with A’s and B’s, and Mami had my birth certificate.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago