verify
Americanverb (used with object)
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verifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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verified,
past participle, past
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verifying
present participle
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to prove the truth of, as by evidence or testimony; confirm; substantiate.
Events verified his prediction.
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to ascertain the truth or correctness of, as by examination, research, or comparison.
to verify a spelling.
- Synonyms:
- validate, authenticate
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to act as ultimate proof or evidence of; serve to confirm.
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Law.
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to prove or confirm (an allegation).
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to state to be true, especially in legal use, formally or upon oath.
-
verb
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to prove to be true; confirm; substantiate
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to check or determine the correctness or truth of by investigation, reference, etc
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law to add a verification to (a pleading); substantiate or confirm (an oath)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unverifiabilitynoun
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verifiabilitynoun
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verifiablenessnoun
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verifiernoun
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preverifyverb (used with object)
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reverifyverb (used with object)
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nonverifiableadjective
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unverifiableadjective
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verifiableadjective
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verifiablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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verifysimple
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verifiessimple
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have verifiedperfect
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has verifiedperfect
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am verifyingprogressive
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are verifyingprogressive
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is verifyingprogressive
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have been verifyingperfect progressive
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has been verifyingperfect progressive
Past
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verifiedsimple
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had verifiedperfect
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was verifyingprogressive
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were verifyingprogressive
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had been verifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of verify
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English verifien, from Middle French verifier, from Medieval Latin vērificāre, from vēri- (combining form of vērus “true”) + -ficāre -fy
Explanation
When you verify something, you show that it's true. Do you have a photograph to verify your claim that there's a dinosaur in your backyard? Physical evidence and records are often used to verify what's happened. Your receipt verifies that you purchased the tall, striped hat you'd now like to return. You can also verify something verbally. Can you verify that your cat was home all evening on the night of the canary's "accident"?
Vocabulary lists containing verify
List 1
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Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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:
The ACA Marketplace may ask for documents, including an employer or insurer notice, to verify when her coverage came to an end.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Zhuravlyov worked as an advisor for the film, according to media reports AFP was unable to immediately verify with German or Croatian authorities.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Israel should pursue the opportunity cautiously, following Reagan’s approach to Gorbachev: Trust but verify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Thenmozhi, the bureau's Southern Zone Deputy Director, told BBC Tamil that it had written to wildlife officials in Chennai asking them to verify documents and take appropriate action.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Is there someone who can verify your whereabouts?”
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
The WHO verifies and records attacks on healthcare but does not attribute blame as it is not an investigation agency.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Nielsen, the longtime powerhouse in TV ratings, agreed to buy DoubleVerify, a software platform that verifies media quality and optimizes advertising performance, in a deal with an enterprise value of about $2.15 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Los Angeles County election officials say you can check in at a vote center by scanning your “quick check-in code” — a number that verifies your voter registration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
The lived experience verifies the theoretical, and the theoretical gives those with lived experience tools to understand their own lives.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
"Each new experience verifies the former," said the astrologer, raising up his head at last.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, No. 362, December 1845 by Various
His latest record attempt is yet to be verified.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The money will be traded in a public brokerage account so as not to rely on non-publicly traded items that cannot be verified independently.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
The report, which didn’t share the vessel’s name or cargo, couldn’t immediately be verified.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
"A rapid assessment is currently underway to determine the number of casualties and the extent of the impact. We will provide that information after the data has been verified."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
We must not allow them to be verified in sweet Jane Fairfax.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
"While no passwords or payment details were exposed, we recommend remaining cautious of any unexpected emails and always verifying the sender before clicking on links."
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The bots’ own outputs suggest that the problem stems from uncertainty around verifying “Made in USA” claims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
On the one hand, the types of technologies that have exploded since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 can automate tasks like editing grammar or verifying facts and figures.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
For platforms, the challenge is verifying identities, policing boundaries, and making sure a market built around emotional intimacy doesn’t become a regulatory liability.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
He gave Winston a single sharp glance, as though verifying his identity, and then paid no more attention to him.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
