birth certificate

American  

noun

birth certificates plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• birth certificates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of birth certificate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"However, when the baby was born and we went to get the birth certificate, the name Dunyo was no longer there" after the update, she said.

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

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

Sarah said that Lily's Austrian passport states she was born in Britain, and that she also offered to show her birth certificate as proof - but was told this wouldn't be sufficient.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Nor were the copies of his Puerto Rico ID and his birth certificate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Then I realized that I would need a passport, and that without a real birth certificate, I was unlikely to get one.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover