birth certificate

American  

noun

1. an official form recording the birth of a baby and containing pertinent data, as name, sex, date, place, and parents.

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birth certificate British  

noun

1. an official form giving details of the time and place of a person's birth, and his or her name, sex, mother's name and (usually) father's name

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Etymology

Origin of birth certificate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

He made a declaration of parentage application to the Family Court after discovering a couple he donated sperm to had named the mother's partner as the father on the baby's birth certificate.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

The Center for American Progress found that over 69 million female citizens over 15 do not have a birth certificate that matches their legal name because of a name change or hyphenation.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

First, people registering to vote would be asked to show proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or naturalization document.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Gather proof of residency, citizenship documents like a birth certificate and passport, and documentation related to any dependents, the law firm says.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

In the end, I got my birth certificate long before Luke got his.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover