ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī 
ratified; ratifying
: to approve and sanction formally : confirm
ratify a treaty
Synonyms
Examples of ratify in a Sentence
A number of countries have refused to ratify the treaty.
Lincoln's home state of Illinois was the first to ratify the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provided for the abolition of slavery.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was ratified in the Senate, 93 votes to 5.
—
Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
With 32 million copies sold worldwide by the end of 1983, Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, and was ratified by Guinness World Records on Feb. 7, 1984.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Moscow signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits nuclear explosions for civilian or military purposes, in 1996 and ratified it in 2000.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Despite its members ratifying a lucrative new sponsorship deal with Nike, Barca hasn't been able to sort out its Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues and get either man over the line thus far.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify 
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Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
With 32 million copies sold worldwide by the end of 1983, Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, and was ratified by Guinness World Records on Feb. 7, 1984.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Moscow signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits nuclear explosions for civilian or military purposes, in 1996 and ratified it in 2000.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Despite its members ratifying a lucrative new sponsorship deal with Nike, Barca hasn't been able to sort out its Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues and get either man over the line thus far.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify
Dictionary Entries Near ratify
Cite this Entry
“Ratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratify. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈrat-ə-ˌfī
ratified; ratifying
: to give legal or official approval to
ratify a treaty
Legal Definition
ratify
transitive verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī
ratified; ratifying
: to make valid or effective
especially
: to adopt or affirm (as the prior act or contract of an agent) by express or implied consent with the effect of original authorization
unable to rescind the contract because he ratified it by accepting the benefits
compare reform
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