confirmation
Americannoun
-
confirmations
plural
-
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.
-
Religion.
-
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.
-
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.
-
-
something that confirms, as a corroborative statement or piece of evidence.
His birth certificate served as confirmation of his citizenship.
noun
-
the act of confirming
-
something that confirms; verification
-
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
-
(in the philosophy of science) the relationship between an observation and the theory which it supposedly renders more probable Compare hypothetico-deductive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonconfirmationnoun
-
preconfirmationnoun
-
reconfirmationnoun
-
self-confirmationnoun
-
superconfirmationnoun
-
confirmationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of confirmation
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French and Latin confirmātiōn-, stem of confirmātiō; see confirm, -ation
Explanation
A confirmation provides proof that something is true. An example might be when you receive confirmation that your flight will be on time, or you find out that something you thought might have happened actually did occur. Confirmation is verification or final proof of something. In the church, confirmation is a rite in which a person if awarded full acceptance into — i.e., confirmed in — the religion, usually presented in a ceremony attended by family and friends. You can see how that ties in with the more general definition of substantiation of a fact or assertion. Confirmation is an obvious derivative of the verb confirm.
Vocabulary lists containing confirmation
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Poet X
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Analyzing Arguments: From Reading to Writing (Chapter 3)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A California dealer consortium called Symbolic Motor Car Company bought it for $1 million and reached out to Porsche afterward to secure confirmation on the car’s origins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
“Public Access Afterworld” is less of an artistic pivot than a confirmation that Schoenbrun’s worldbuilding skill is well beyond their peers, cinematic or literary.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
AFP has contacted China's foreign ministry for confirmation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
The Senatobia Police Department did not immediately respond to the BBC's requests for confirmation.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
She admired Iorek almost without limit, and she was glad to find confirmation of his nobility.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Situational and Citadel finished signing documents and trade confirmations around 9:10 a.m., leaving only about 20 minutes before U.S. markets opened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
If those confirmations arise, we will act on them.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Over his decadeslong career, he has played crucial roles in the confirmations of Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
One of its earliest confirmations came from Mercury's orbit, which shifts slightly more than Newton's laws alone could explain.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 19, 2026
Howard began ordering multiple trainloads of cars, some three hundred at a time, and printing his orders and the company shipping confirmations in full-page ads.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
