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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of birth certificate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

I’m moving to Canada or Iceland or the south of France; I need to find my grandmother’s birth certificate and apply for dual citizenship.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

By the time the child was born, the mother's partner had begun identifying as a trans man and was registered on the birth certificate as the father.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 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

Though Sonali is the name on her birth certificate, the name she will carry officially through life, at home they begin to call her Sonu, then Sona, and finally Sonia.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri