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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
On the technology front, the anticipated certification of the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10 this year -- following years of delays -- should help to free up significant engineering resources, Pope said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
They urged organisations to ramp up their cyber security measures by taking steps such as enrolling in the government-backed Cyber Essentials certification scheme.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
It is also awaiting the certification -- after several years of delays -- of its three new aircraft.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Instead of doing demonstration flights of the much-delayed 777X at the air show, Ortberg said he chose to keep the aircraft in the U.S. while it awaits safety certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
“I want to be a certified fencing Maestro so I have to go through a certification course in Hungary, and it’s about to get started,” he said.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Linked Learning steps in by partnering with schools and guiding students on how to earn college credit through dual community college enrollment, internships and industry certifications.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
"Synergy later provided many of these false certifications to the NTSB," Hayes said.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
Members of the panel recommended the officers’ certifications be suspended or revoked outright.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
What are their qualifications — do they hold certifications like the certified financial planner designation?
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
I have no idea if she had any medical certifications beyond a vague notion of CPR, but she pulled Grace’s sagging body to the ground all the same.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
