certification
Americannoun
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the act of certifying.
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the state of being certified.
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a certified statement.
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the writing on the face of a check by which it is certified.
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Law. a certificate attesting the truth of some statement or event.
noun
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the act of certifying or state of being certified
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law a document attesting the truth of a fact or statement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of certification
1400–50; late Middle English certificacio ( u ) n < Medieval Latin certificātiōn- (stem of certificātiō ). See certificate, -ion
Explanation
Certification is official proof that something is true or authentic, or the process of obtaining that proof. To work as a life guard, you need certification in both swimming and first aid — and a whole lot of sunscreen. If you want to be an elementary school teacher, you'll need to get certification, which shows you've been tested and found qualified to teach. Likewise, an auto mechanic's certification demonstrates her education and skill at car repair. One element of certification is demonstrating your ability, and the other is obtaining a document (or certificate) so you can prove that ability to other people.
Vocabulary lists containing certification
"Most Dangerous 'Sport' of All May Be Cheerleading"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 5–January 11, 2025
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Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?
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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.
After much criticism, Spotify has launched a new certification badge, “Verified by Spotify.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Last summer, he was entered a pretrial diversion program that required him to surrender his law enforcement certification and complete 50 hours of community service.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Higher production, for now, matters even more than oil prices or the certification of new planes.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Many small modular-reactor, or SMR, designs have yet to receive full design certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Gradually, a specialization process began to occur and music became a regular subject with its own certification, an educational tradition that continues to this day.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
