confirmation

American  

[kon-fer-mey-shuhn] / ˌkɒn fərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of confirming, or of establishing someone or something, as by verifying, approving, or corroborating.

   The study is an attempt at the scientific confirmation of previous anecdotal results.

   The nomination and confirmation of this candidate as Court of Appeals Judge is a step in the right direction.

2. Religion.

   1. a rite in some Christian churches, in which baptized individuals profess their faith, are accorded status as full members, and, in some denominations, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

   2. a solemn ceremony among Reform and certain Conservative Jews, admitting young people to adult membership in the Jewish community after completion of a prescribed course of study.

3. something that confirms, confirm, as a corroborative statement or piece of evidence.

   His birth certificate served as confirmation of his citizenship.

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confirmation British  

/ ˌkɒnfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of confirming

2. something that confirms; verification

3. a rite in several Christian churches that confirms a baptized person in his or her faith and admits him or her to full participation in the church

4. (in the philosophy of science) the relationship between an observation and the theory which it supposedly renders more probable Compare hypothetico-deductive

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Other Word Forms

• confirmational adjective
• nonconfirmation noun
• preconfirmation noun
• reconfirmation noun
• self-confirmation noun
• superconfirmation noun

Etymology

Origin of confirmation

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French and Latin confirmātiōn-, stem of confirmātiō; confirm, -ation

Example Sentences

"We spent one day celebrating life with our friend, then there were two days of uncertainty, without knowing anything about what happened to her, then we get the confirmation that she's dead."

From BBC

There was no immediate confirmation of whether Bangladesh would buckle to the ICC's decision.

From Barron's

A preliminary review by the policing watchdog found "confirmation bias" influenced the decision to bar supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending Villa Park.

From BBC

In a reply to an online order confirmation, I clicked the button and wrote the prompt “Ask for a refund.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The backlash came after a preliminary review by the policing watchdog found "confirmation bias" influenced the decision to bar supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending Villa Park.

From BBC

Related Words

• acceptance
• admission
• affirmation
• approval
• authorization
• consent
• corroboration
• endorsement
• evidence
• green light
• passage
• recognition
• testimony
• verification