validation

American  

[val-i-dey-shuhn] / ˌvæl ɪˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of confirming something as true or correct: You will be prompted to enter your new password a second time for validation.

   The new method is very promising but requires validation through further testing.

   You will be prompted to enter your new password a second time for validation.

2. the act of officially or legally certifying or approving something.

   The proposal will be prioritized and put into action after it undergoes validation by the government.

3. the act of affirming a person, or their ideas, feelings, actions, etc., as acceptable and worthy.

   Recognition and validation of minority cultures by classroom teachers is crucial to student wellbeing and success.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonvalidation
  noun
• revalidation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of validation

valid(ate) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Explanation

Validation is making sure that something is true. Even if you know you're a great poet, you may still long for the validation of being awarded a literary prize or having a volume of your poems published by a respected press. Your winning lottery ticket may require validation — lottery officials have to check it to make sure it's not counterfeit and that you really do have the winning numbers. The word validation is formed from the Latin word for "strong," validus, and validation makes something strong. You may claim that you've danced more tango turns than anyone else in the history of the world, but you'll have to wait for someone from Guinness World Records to give your claim validation.

Example Sentences

I think it's workers who can creatively think about ways in which AI can generate value, quickly translate ideas into action, and who are ready to revise their intuition through experimentation and validation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

It makes me wonder if what makes a boy’s mother a Boy Mom is a sense of self that requires the consistent validation of being needed.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Shares of Quantinuum opened 13% above their initial-public-offering price on Thursday, making their Nasdaq debut in a major validation moment for the quantum-computing market.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

"Finding the same subtypes reproducible across dozens of independent research sites was critical validation," added Dr. Gozzi.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

Velia looked at her twin sister for validation, not grasping the full meaning of what I was getting at.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• acceptance
• affirmation
• authorization
• corroboration
• endorsement
• proof
• recognition
• verification