certificate
Americannoun
-
certificates
plural
-
a document serving as evidence or as written testimony, as of status, qualifications, privileges, or the truth of something.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Finance.
verb (used with object)
-
certificates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
certificated,
past participle, past
-
certificating
present participle
-
to furnish with or authorize by a certificate.
-
to issue an official certificate attesting to the training, aptitude, and qualification of.
to certificate a teacher.
noun
-
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
-
short for share certificate
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
certificatesimple
-
certificatessimple
-
have certificatedperfect
-
has certificatedperfect
-
am certificatingprogressive
-
are certificatingprogressive
-
is certificatingprogressive
-
have been certificatingperfect progressive
-
has been certificatingperfect progressive
Past
-
certificatedsimple
-
had certificatedperfect
-
was certificatingprogressive
-
were certificatingprogressive
-
had been certificatingperfect progressive
Future
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- ( see certify) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
A certificate is a paper or document that proves some fact. Your most prized possession might be the certificate you got when you became a black belt in karate. Your fastidious friend might need to check the health inspection certificate before she'll agree to eat in a restaurant, and you'll need a copy of your birth certificate before you can apply for a passport. A certificate certifies or documents the fact that you are who you say you are, that you're licensed to drive, or authorized to practice dentistry, for example. You can trace the word certificate back to the Latin certus, "sure, fixed, settled."
Vocabulary lists containing certificate
The Judicial Branch
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Week 3 Spelling
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"CLEP Financial Accounting," Vocabulary from Chapter 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
"I had the certificate in my rucksack and I was riding home to show it to my mum and dad."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The school will issue qualifications confirming a machine's ability to do a specific role -- "much like a human's graduation certificate", said Zhao.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
There is no certificate that is accepted everywhere.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The city of Newark has been pressing for The GEO Group to permit a fire inspection and obtain a certificate of occupancy for the sprawling private jail.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
"He even had a certificate from the Department of Agriculture for importing and exporting plants and seeds."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
"It looked like a genuine opportunity," said Vharance Goodho, who borrowed money for police clearance certificates, medical examinations and other expenses.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
For the 2025 calendar year, 20,685 deaths were attributed across the nation to COVID-19 on death certificates, according to the CDC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Ramezanisadeh and Pasandideh were given their citizenship certificates at a ceremony attended by Australian Interior Minister Tony Burke.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
At California Institute of Technology, a little-known band of admissions officials is scrutinizing the fonts on science-fair certificates, checking addresses on high-school transcripts and analyzing signatures on awards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Two certificates of freedom, Rufe, all legal. Raise them free. That’s the least you can do.”
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Next year, the labor shortage is projected to hit nearly 7,000 certificated mechanics in North America, 12% fewer than the industry actually needs, according to the industry report.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
In 2023, over 39,000 of the 540,920 certificated grades were appealed.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2024
“With the number of requirements and expectations already placed on certificated staff, this is an unreasonable and highly concerning expectation.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2023
Electric aircraft maker Eve Holding Inc is "on track" to meet its goal of starting commercial operations in 2026, an executive said on Friday, and getting its aircraft certificated is the most immediate target.
From Reuters ● Feb. 17, 2023
There are nearly forty thousand certificated teachers at work; and 3214 students are being prepared in forty-one Training Colleges.
From The Quarterly Review, Volume 162, No. 324, April, 1886 by Various
It would seem that full local control was given except in the matter of certificating teachers and regulating the government grant.
From Egerton Ryerson and Education in Upper Canada by J. Harold Putnam
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.
