probate

American  

[proh-beyt] / ˈproʊ beɪt /

noun

1. Law. the official proving of a will as authentic or valid in a probate court.

2. an officially certified copy of a will so proved.

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adjective

1. of or relating to probate or a probate court.

verb (used with object)

probated, probating

1. to establish the authenticity or validity of (a will).

2. Law. to put (an offender) on probation.

probate British  

/ -beɪt, ˈprəʊbɪt /

noun

1. the act or process of officially proving the authenticity and validity of a will

2. 1. the official certificate stating a will to be genuine and conferring on the executors power to administer the estate

   2. the probate copy of a will

3. (in the US) all matters within the jurisdiction of a probate court

4. (modifier) of, relating to, or concerned with probate

   probate value

   a probate court

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verb

1. (tr) to establish officially the authenticity and validity of (a will)

Other Word Forms

• unprobated adjective

Etymology

Origin of probate

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English probat, from Latin probātum “a thing approved,” noun use of neuter past participle of probāre “to examine, test”; prove

Explanation

Probate is the act of proving the legal validity of a will. A will may require probate because the person that signed it isn’t around to verify his or her signature. As Ambrose Bierce wrote, “Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.” So comes the need for the probate. Though probate, from the Latin probare, “to test or prove,” is usually used for wills, it can also be applied to other legal documents, as in the proving of the validity of a document, or an official certification proving the document is real. Probate is also a verb meaning “to place a convicted person on probation.”

Example Sentences

The "Una and the Lion" five-pound coin was part of a private collection found during a probate valuation at a house near Bangor, Gwynedd.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Your brother should know that Medicaid estate recovery is a federal mandate requiring states to seek reimbursement for long-term-care services from the estates of deceased recipients, focusing on your brother’s home and other probate assets.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Most of my friends have never had to write an obituary, or file a life insurance claim, or deal with probate court.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

To apply to be a conservator, you need to file a petition with the probate court in the county where he lives.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

As White examined probate records for many of the murder victims, it was evident that with each successive death, more and more headrights were being directed into the hands of one person—Mollie Burkhart.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann