validate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make valid; substantiate; confirm.
Time validated our suspicions.
- Synonyms:
- prove, verify, authenticate
- Antonyms:
- disprove
-
to give legal force to; legalize.
-
to give official sanction, confirmation, or approval to, as elected officials, election procedures, documents, etc..
to validate a passport.
verb
-
to confirm or corroborate
-
to give legal force or official confirmation to; declare legally valid
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of validate
First recorded in 1640–50; from Medieval Latin validātus (past participle of validāre “to make valid”), equivalent to valid- ( see valid) + -ātus past participle suffix ( see -ate 1)
Explanation
To validate is to prove that something is based on truth or fact, or is acceptable. It can also mean to make something, like a contract, legal. You may need someone to validate your feelings, which means that you want to hear, “No, you’re not crazy. It’s acceptable to be angry about that.” Or you may need someone to validate your parking ticket — which means you have to prove that you bought something, so you can get parking for free. Whatever it is you are seeking to validate needs the added support or action from someone else to make it valid.
Vocabulary lists containing validate
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 3
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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.
"These are all the lies I am not going to validate," she says.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
“Acupuncturists, in general, still rely very heavily on tradition and personal experience to validate their practices,” said Dr. Brennen McKenzie, a veterinarian and member of the opposition group.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
Hoskins has until late July to validate the petition, while Missouri’s primary is on Aug. 4.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
Successfully fast-tracking a treatment would validate Moderna’s mRNA platform, even if the total number of cases is low.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
In such cases, voters were asked to validate their ballots by taking an oath assuring that they were legally permitted to vote.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
