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.
The last important amendment adopted, the 26th, which lowered the voting age to 18, was ratified 55 years ago.
From Salon • May 18, 2026
After a surprisingly quick negotiation with the film and TV studios, the members of the Writers Guild of America have officially ratified a new four-year contract.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Candidate selections at constituency level have to be ratified by Burrows, but the BBC has been told he will not interfere.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
The generation that wrote and ratified the Constitution had direct experience with compulsory service, but it looked nothing like modern conscription.
From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026
And Pawhuska is still the capital of the vibrant Osage Nation, which, in 2006, ratified a new constitution.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
