ratify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
ratifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ratified,
past participle, past
-
ratifying
present participle
-
to confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction.
to ratify a constitutional amendment.
- Synonyms:
- approve, corroborate
- Antonyms:
- disapprove, veto
-
to confirm (something done or arranged by an agent or by representatives) by such action.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ratifysimple
-
ratifiessimple
-
have ratifiedperfect
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has ratifiedperfect
-
am ratifyingprogressive
-
are ratifyingprogressive
-
is ratifyingprogressive
-
have been ratifyingperfect progressive
-
has been ratifyingperfect progressive
Past
-
ratifiedsimple
-
had ratifiedperfect
-
was ratifyingprogressive
-
were ratifyingprogressive
-
had been ratifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ratify
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English ratifien, from Middle French ratifier, from Medieval Latin ratificāre, equivalent to Latin rat(us) “calculated” ( see rate 1) + -ificāre -ify
Explanation
To ratify a treaty or contract is to officially approve it by signing or voting for it. You and your brothers and sisters might devise a plan for a family vacation to Disney World, but it would need to be ratified by your parents. You are most likely to hear the word ratify when talking about laws. In the U.S., Congress writes bills, but they need to be ratified before they become law. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution must be ratified by three-fourths of the states, either passed by the state legislatures or by state conventions.
Vocabulary lists containing ratify
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American History I
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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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:
Confirmation can elevate the official; it cannot ratify the paper.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
That it fell to Warsh to ratify that turn was the twist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
The Board of Education also must ratify tentative agreements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
Sir Keir said this year's summit "will not just ratify existing commitments made at last year's summit" but would be "more ambitious".
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
On January 6, Nebraska became the thirty-sixth state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment, making it illegal to manufacture, sell, or transport liquor.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
The dollar “probably can keep selling off because it kind of ratifies the current narrative,” said Brent Donnelly, president of Spectra Markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
“What Mike White does is so insanely strong that when he ratifies an actor — or gives someone their moment — it’s just so deeply impressive,” Perkins says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2025
The bill must now be approved by the foreign affairs commission before parliament's general assembly formally ratifies it, Erdogan signs it into law and it is published in the Official Gazette, completing the process.
From Reuters ● Oct. 24, 2023
Assuming the parliament ratifies Finland's accession beforehand, the government in Helsinki still has to secure the support of Hungary.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2023
History ratifies the conclusion, and the common sense of mankind practically acquiesces in it.
From The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of Mankind by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur
MAL was one of four blood group systems ratified during the period covered by the organization's 2026 terminology report, alongside ER, CD36 and ATP11C.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Women couldn’t vote until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Workers at “World of Warcraft” video game developer Blizzard Entertainment have ratified union contracts after two years of bargaining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
With the Constitution now ratified and the new federal government safely in place, Franklin resumed his plea that slavery be declared incongruous with the revolutionary principles on which the nation was founded.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Whatever else this enigmatic phrase may cover, it is plain from British constitutional history, the statements of those involved in drafting and ratifying the U.S.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
It then examined these provisions’ original public meaning, gleaned from the Federalist Papers, Constitutional Convention records and state ratifying convention debates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Von der Leyen said Thursday that the bloc has made "good progress" towards ratifying the deal by early July.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
Yet ratifying the agreement has proven difficult because roughly half of the guides don’t want to unionize.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
The debates in the ratifying conventions of the respective states only exposed the irreconcilable differences of opinion that the Constitution had so deftly bundled together.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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