certificate
Americannoun
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a document serving as evidence or as written testimony, as of status, qualifications, privileges, or the truth of something.
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a document attesting to the fact that a person has completed an educational course, issued either by an institution not authorized to grant diplomas, or to a student not qualifying for a diploma.
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Law. a statement, written and signed, which is by law made evidence of the truth of the facts stated, for all or for certain purposes.
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Finance.
verb (used with object)
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to furnish with or authorize by a certificate.
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to issue an official certificate attesting to the training, aptitude, and qualification of.
to certificate a teacher.
noun
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an official document attesting the truth of the facts stated, as of birth, marital status, death, health, completion of an academic course, ability to practise a profession, etc
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short for share certificate
verb
Other Word Forms
- certificatory adjective
- noncertificated adjective
- uncertificated adjective
Etymology
Origin of certificate
1375–1425; late Middle English certificat < Medieval Latin certificātum, noun use of neuter of certificātus certified (past participle of certificāre ), equivalent to certific- ( certify ) + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most items come with a certificate of authenticity, but that certificate is only as legitimate as the organisation which awards it, and those organisations can be completely unvetted.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
The musician’s death certificate, published Wednesday by the New York Post, also listed kidney failure as a contributing factor.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 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
But Green Product International still holds a valid certificate, the ISCC's online registry shows.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
They fudged the dates on my birth certificate so that I wouldn’t be held back for a year.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
