verify

verb

ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce verify (audio)
verified; verifying
Synonyms of verifynext

transitive verb

1
: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of
verify the claim
2
: to confirm or substantiate in law by oath
verifier
ˈver-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce verify (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for verify

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 verify in a Sentence

She verified her flight number. He verified that the item was in stock. Can you verify whether I am scheduled to work or not?
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.
Finally, 93% of the deliveries were completed with no attempt to verify the buyer’s age. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 Educating employees—especially those in finance roles—about the risks of fraudulent invoices and how to verify payment requests would be wise for organizations to prioritize in light of novel cyberattacks like this. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 You'll be asked to sign a form verifying your identity. —Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024 Arizona allows voters to drop off early ballots at the polls on Election Day, and those ballots must still be processed and verified before they can be tallied. —Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for verify 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English verifien, borrowed from Anglo-French verifier, borrowed from Medieval Latin vērificāre, from Latin vērus "true" + -ficāre -fy — more at very entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of verify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near verify

verificatory

verify

verily

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Verify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verify. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

verify

verb
ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce verify (audio)
verified; verifying
: to prove or check the truth, accuracy, or reality of
verify the claim
verifier
-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce verify (audio)
noun
Etymology

Middle English verifien "to establish the truth of," from early French verifier (same meaning), from Latin verificare (same meaning), from earlier verus "true" — related to verdict, very

Legal Definition

verify

transitive verb
ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce verify (audio)
verified; verifying
1
: to confirm or substantiate by oath, affidavit, or deposition
verify a motion
2
: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of
Etymology

Anglo-French verifier, from Medieval Latin verificare, from Latin verus true + -ficare to make

More from Merriam-Webster on verify

Nglish: Translation of verify for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of verify for Arabic Speakers

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