validate

verb

val·i·date ˈva-lə-ˌdāt

validated; validating

Synonyms of validate

transitive verb

: to make legally valid : ratify

: to grant official sanction to by marking

validated her passport

: to confirm the validity of (an election)

also : to declare (a person) elected

: to support or corroborate on a sound or authoritative basis

experiments designed to validate the hypothesis

: to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of

validate his concerns

validator

ˈva-lə-ˌdā-tər

noun

Did you know?

When validate first entered the language in the mid-17th century, its meaning was tied fast to its close relative, the adjective valid: to validate something, such as a marriage or treaty, was to make it legally valid. This meaning is still current, but the word is now used in nonlegal and informal contexts. If the museum you visit validates your parking ticket, the museum official marks the ticket and you do not have to pay for parking. If someone's claims cannot be validated, those claims cannot be confirmed. And if a coach puts an untested player into the game and the player scores the winning point, the player's strong performance validates the coach's decision.

Choose the Right Synonym for validate

confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth or validity of something.

confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

Examples of validate in a Sentence

The court validated the contract. A judge still needs to validate the election. Customs officers validated our passports. The decline in sales only validated our concerns.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

While previous deals—including linking up with The PGA of Canada, the Korn Ferry Tour, and the World Golf Competition—helped validate the startup’s concept, Norman’s backing marks a whole new level of industry acceptance. —Mike Dojc, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 The format has been criticized as politically counterproductive, with Newsom appearing unprepared and overly eager to validate conservative talking points. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025 The research also validated Goodmark’s inkling that the carceral approach was not race-neutral, and never had been. —Sarah Lustbader, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025 In December 2021, the Paris judicial court validated an agreement reached with LVMH that would see the luxury goods giant pay 10 million euros to settle claims that Squarcini spied for the company. —Alex Wynne, WWD, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for validate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin validātus, past participle of validāre "to make valid," derivative of Latin validus "in good health, having legal authority" — more at valid

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of validate was in 1648

See more words from the same year