Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ratification
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin ratificātiōn- (stem of ratificātiō ), equivalent to ratificāt ( us ) (past participle of ratificāre to ratify ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Ratification is the official way to confirm something, usually by vote. It is the formal validation of a proposed law. We almost never use the word ratification except to talk about process by which proposed laws, treaties, and agreements are officially recognized. In the United States, any amendment to the Constitution requires ratification by at least three quarters of the states, even after Congress has approved it.
Vocabulary lists containing ratification
New Year, New Words: Vocabulary for January
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)
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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.
Ratification is expected, given the strong support WGA leaders have received from the rank-and-file.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2023
Ratification is expected before Turkey holds its presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14.
From Washington Times • Mar. 17, 2023
Ratification, he added, is key to preventing “misunderstanding or miscalculation in Moscow.”
From Washington Post • Jan. 24, 2023
The judge ruled that the regulation "violates sections of the Nigerian constitution as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act, which abolished discrimination on basis of gender".
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2023
Ratification by three fourths of the States was sufficient under the Constitution for the adoption of an amendment to it.
From The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government by Davis, Jefferson
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.
