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

Worse yet, these app-based ordering systems usually require a whole other login or download, forcing you to set up and authenticate an account that you’ll never use again after checkout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 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

Companies like Beckett Grading Services and Professional Sports Authenticator, or PSA, which authenticate and grade the quality of collectible sports cards, now do the same with Pokemon cards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 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

It said firms should reassess how their IT help desk "authenticates staff members" before resetting passwords, especially senior employees with access to high-level parts of an IT network.

From BBC ● May 5, 2025

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

The testimony of the man whom God authenticates, by enabling him to do such miracles as those of Moses and of Christ, is conclusive as to the power by which they are wrought.

From Fables of Infidelity and Facts of Faith Being an Examination of the Evidences of Infidelity by Robert Patterson

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

"If fans are purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster, they can be confident that they're getting a real, authenticated ticket that will get them into tonight's game," a Ticketmaster spokesperson told the BBC on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 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

This technology could potentially be applied to authenticating wine, perfumes or other luxury goods, says Liu of Ainos, which trained its e-nose to differentiate varieties of coffee beans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 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

“Above all else though, the program does not allow for authenticating balls in the stands because it is a chain-of-custody and witness-based program.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 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

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