authenticate

American  

[aw-then-ti-keyt] / ɔˈθɛn tɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• authenticates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• authenticated,
  past participle,  past
• authenticating
  present participle

1. to establish as genuine.

   Synonyms:

   substantiate, validate, confirm

2. to establish the authorship or origin of conclusively or unquestionably, chiefly by the techniques of scholarship.

   to authenticate a painting.

3. to make authoritative or valid.

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authenticate British  

/ ɔːˈθɛntɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to establish as genuine or valid

2. to give authority or legal validity to

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• authentication
  noun
• authenticator
  noun
• nonauthentication
  noun
• reauthenticate
  verb (used with object)
• authenticatable
  adjective
• nonauthenticated
  adjective
• self-authenticating
  adjective
• unauthenticated
  adjective
• well-authenticated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• authenticating
  present
• authenticated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• authenticate
  simple
• authenticates
  simple
• have authenticated
  perfect
• has authenticated
  perfect
• am authenticating
  progressive
• are authenticating
  progressive
• is authenticating
  progressive
• have been authenticating
  perfect progressive
• has been authenticating
  perfect progressive

Past

• authenticated
  simple
• had authenticated
  perfect
• was authenticating
  progressive
• were authenticating
  progressive
• had been authenticating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will authenticate
  simple
• will have authenticated
  perfect
• will be authenticating
  progressive
• will have been authenticating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

authenticate authenticates authenticated authenticating

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

The technology is also being applied to authenticate products, create new fragrances and monitor livestock health and emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 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

Would it be contrary to medical ethics in the HeLa cell’s coming-of-age year to authenticate the name and let He .

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Paul’s card was graded 10 by Professional Sports Authenticators, or PSA, a third-party service that authenticates and grades trading cards and other collectibles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026

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

All this authenticates the song, which thereupon establishes the miraculous deliverance that inspired it.

From The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Exodus by G. A. Chadwick

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

The newly authenticated hat will serve as the centrepiece of an exhibition devoted to the art collections of Napoleon's sister, opening in early June.

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

It's worth noting that militaries have access to "M-Code" GPS, is a carefully authenticated and encrypted form of the technology that is far more resistant to jamming.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 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

We did this by reviewing and authenticating thousands of leaked and gathered documents.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

Rather than authenticating the tag, a better security solution is to authenticate the item itself, Han says.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 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

Then instead of producing certificates with the departmental seal authenticating solvency, the life insurance solicitor would be forced to prove his company entitled to credit by other and more convincing arguments.

From The Galaxy, May, 1877 Vol. XXIII.—May, 1877.—No. 5. by Various

Related Words

• attest
• corroborate
• substantiate
• validate
• verify