Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ratification
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ratificātiōn- (stem of ratificātiō ), equivalent to ratificāt ( us ) (past participle of ratificāre to ratify ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Ratification is the official way to confirm something, usually by vote. It is the formal validation of a proposed law. We almost never use the word ratification except to talk about process by which proposed laws, treaties, and agreements are officially recognized. In the United States, any amendment to the Constitution requires ratification by at least three quarters of the states, even after Congress has approved it.
Vocabulary lists containing ratification
New Year, New Words: Vocabulary for January
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)
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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.
"After several months of verification and certification, FAI ratification now gives this achievement full international recognition," the SolarStratos team said a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Kiplimo ran 57:20 in Lisbon earlier this year but Kejelcha has now knocked 29 seconds off that time to regain the record, subject to official ratification.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
It had, in every sense, changed constitutional meaning through popular ratification.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
By the way, the Constitution, sent to the states for ratification 11 years after the Declaration, also doesn’t contain the word “freedom,” but its preamble mentions “the Blessings of Liberty.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Josephine Anderson Pearson, head of the Tennessee State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, worked against ratification of the amendment.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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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.
