certify

[ sur-tuh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, cer·ti·fied, cer·ti·fy·ing.

1. to attest as certain; give reliable information of; confirm:

   He certified the truth of his claim.

   Synonyms: guarantee, validate, verify, corroborate

2. to testify to or vouch for in writing:

   The medical examiner will certify his findings to the court.

3. to guarantee; endorse reliably:

   to certify a document with an official seal.

4. to guarantee (a check) by writing on its face that the account against which it is drawn has sufficient funds to pay it.
5. to award a certificate to (a person) attesting to the completion of a course of study or the passing of a qualifying examination.
6. to declare legally insane and committable to a mental institution.
7. Archaic. to assure or inform with certainty.

verb (used without object)

, cer·ti·fied, cer·ti·fy·ing.

1. to give assurance; testify; vouch for the validity of something (usually followed by to ).

certify

/ ˈsɜːtɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to confirm or attest (to), usually in writing

   the letter certified her age

2. tr to endorse or guarantee (that certain required standards have been met)
3. to give reliable information or assurances

   he certified that it was Walter's handwriting

4. tr to declare legally insane
5. tr (of a bank) to state in writing on (a cheque) that payment is guaranteed

Derived Forms

• ˈcertiˌfier, noun

Other Words From

• certi·fier noun
• pre·certi·fy verb (used with object) precertified precertifying
• re·certi·fy verb (used with object) recertified recertifying
• un·certi·fying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of certify¹

1300–50; Middle English certifien < Middle French certifier < Late Latin certificāre, equivalent to Latin certi- (combining form of certus decided; certain ) + -ficāre -fy

Word History and Origins

Origin of certify¹

C14: from Old French certifier, from Medieval Latin certificāre to make certain, from Latin certus certain + facere to make

Example Sentences

NASA and Boeing have provided some updates around their Commercial Crew plans, which aim to get Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft certified for regular human flight.

From TechCrunch

The Cessna 172 debuted in 1955 and the Cessna 208 was FAA certified in 1984.

From Fortune

In other cases, confusion over how PUA recipients needed to certify or who qualified for the new aid led to other problems for states.

From Fortune

This unit is Energy Star-certified so you can save your pennies while you keep your kitchen clean.

From Popular-Science

The United States’ “adequacy” protection was limited to companies that were certified under the Privacy Shield.

From Digiday

In order to withhold the photographs, the secretary of defense must certify that photographs could cause harm to Americans.

From The Daily Beast

The FAA will have to certify SpaceShipTwo as airworthy, but there are as yet no protocols in place for that process.

From The Daily Beast

The decision to certify the planes and their sensors has been pending since late last year, long before the Ukraine crisis began.

From The Daily Beast

The first is how the FAA can certify the craft as safe for passenger flight.

From The Daily Beast

The folks from RecordSetter.com were there, the hosts told the hopeful twerkers, to adjudicate and certify the world record.

From The Daily Beast

It will also certify that he made the pluckiest and most successful hundred-mile run ever pulled off in the Southwest.

From Project Gutenberg

As a rule, they certify nothing but the total absence of judgment and conscience in the people who have granted them.

From Project Gutenberg

I certify this fact, which, besides, formed for me a most convincing truth of the presence of a familiar spirit close about us.

From Project Gutenberg

Castellan and Biggen, the notaries, certify to a much larger amount in the Three per Cents.

From Project Gutenberg

I further certify that these memoranda accurately summarize my notes and recollections from these interviews.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accredit
• approve
• ascertain
• authorize
• confirm
• endorse
• guarantee
• license
• notify
• validate
• verify