authenticate
Americanverb (used with object)
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authenticates,
present (3rd person singular)
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authenticated,
past participle, past
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authenticating
present participle
-
to establish as genuine.
- Synonyms:
- substantiate, validate, confirm
-
to establish the authorship or origin of conclusively or unquestionably, chiefly by the techniques of scholarship.
to authenticate a painting.
-
to make authoritative or valid.
verb
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to establish as genuine or valid
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to give authority or legal validity to
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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authenticationnoun
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authenticatornoun
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nonauthenticationnoun
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reauthenticateverb (used with object)
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authenticatableadjective
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nonauthenticatedadjective
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self-authenticatingadjective
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unauthenticatedadjective
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well-authenticatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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authenticatesimple
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authenticatessimple
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have authenticatedperfect
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has authenticatedperfect
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am authenticatingprogressive
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are authenticatingprogressive
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is authenticatingprogressive
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have been authenticatingperfect progressive
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has been authenticatingperfect progressive
Past
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authenticatedsimple
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had authenticatedperfect
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was authenticatingprogressive
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were authenticatingprogressive
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had been authenticatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of authenticate
First recorded in 1565–75; from Medieval Latin authenticātus “made authentic” (past participle of authenticāre ). See authentic, -ate 1
Explanation
When you authenticate something, you establish that it’s the real thing. If you authenticate a painting, for example, you’re sure that it's an original work, not a copy. The verb authenticate came into English in the seventeenth century by way of the Latin word authenticat-, meaning “established as valid.” You’ve probably heard it to mean that a valuable item, like a diamond or a rare vase, is genuine. But not everything that has to be authenticated is worth a lot of money. For example, experts authenticate evidence in an investigation and you authenticate your identity to gain access to your email account.
Vocabulary lists containing authenticate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It said JPMorgan failed to use voice identification technology as widely as it should, and relied on one-time passcodes to authenticate customers that are easily circumvented by scammers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Hence the trip to Vigo to see her paternal grandparents for the first time so she can authenticate her ancestry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
"In this study we show how to authenticate a biomarker, verifying that a signal truly comes from life rather than contamination or non-biological chemistry," Shawar adds.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 27, 2026
Nanos also said the sheriff's office had received a copy of a ransom note and was working with the FBI to authenticate it.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
Geri explained that he needed the director of the Uffizi to authenticate the painting.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
One of those companies was Quest, the maker of OneLogin software that authenticates employees logging into their work platforms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Although a fantastically informative dive that also authenticates much of the movie’s narrative, I do question a serious expose about Oppenheimer using Bill Nye as a science authority source.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
He authenticates documents across the world and said the Smith counterfeits still cause confusion for experts and collectors.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2023
But Banksy also goes to great lengths to regulate the resale of his graffiti and prevent fakes, working with a team that authenticates his work.
From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2022
As registrar the trust company authenticates certificates of stock and bonds in order to prevent an over-issue, and to reduce the chance of loss or theft.
From Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Chester Arthur Phillips
BBC Verify authenticated the clips, identified the ships involved and traced the collision to waters near Singapore, with evidence suggesting it likely happened on 17 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
If someone doesn’t have an authenticated IRS account already, getting started requires an account with ID.me, a business offering identity verification for government agencies, retailers and healthcare organizations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Around 15 of such hats have been fully authenticated, most of them now held in museum collections, said Parich.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
The next day, the open-source research outfit Bellingcat said it had authenticated a video showing a Tomahawk missile strike next to the school in Minab.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2026
I kept my hunch a secret but had the manuscript authenticated by an expert.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Many people have become accustomed to using their phones at checkout, authenticating themselves with a fingerprint or their face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
The researchers say their dual-mode, ambient and polarized light film has potential value for a wide variety of high-level security applications, like seals for authenticating paper money or ID badges.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2024
Evidently authenticating the footage, Mayor Karen Bass confirmed to TV station NBC4 that people were seen parachuting off the building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
Take TruePic, for example, which utilizes technology to enhance transparency of content, like authenticating an image or video that was captured by detailing if or how it has been edited, manipulated, or otherwise.
From Salon ● May 19, 2023
The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization.
From The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
