ratified
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ratified
Explanation
If something is considered ratified, it has been officially approved. When a constitutional amendment is voted into law, it is said to be ratified, or formally accepted. The first known use of ratified in English occurred in the 14th Century. It comes from the Medieval Latin ratificāre, which meant "to confirm or approve." The word ratified is somewhat formal, and is officially used in government proceedings or for contracts or treaties. Still, the idea of something being confirmed or endorsed carries through in Viennese Editor Henry Anatole Grunwald's observation that "Home is one's birthplace, ratified by memory."
Vocabulary lists containing ratified
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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Dear Martin
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Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
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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.
In a statement on social media, Alalshikh thanked those at Derby County for their involvement in the proposed deal, but suggested the time it took to be ratified meant he had to withdraw.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Stern: After the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865, Turner’s mother brought a habeas petition under the federal Constitution.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
The actors’ guild SAG-AFTRA in June ratified a new four-year contract with special protections against synthetic performers, and the union has backed a national bill designed to protect individuals from unauthorized, AI-generated digital replicas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
In Hormuz, Iran, which "has not ratified the Montego Bay Convention, had until now respected it under customary law," Domergue said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Continental Congress wrote the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, two years before the Constitution was ratified.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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.
