ratification

noun

rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌra-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

plural ratifications

: the act or process of ratifying something (such as a treaty or amendment) : formal confirmation or sanction

… the ratification of the 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States.

—Suzanne Travers

A treaty would require two-thirds approval in the Senate for ratification.

—Lois Ember

More than 100 countries signed the Rome Treaty, and it is expected that the court will come into existence within the next year or two, when it receives the necessary sixty treaty ratifications.

—Richard Falk

Examples of ratification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Within 15 years of its ratification, for example, the court had issued two decisions narrowing the amendment’s application, helping to bring about a century of racial segregation in southern states. — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026

This now goes to the Council of EU and the European Parliament for ratification. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Both the terms of ratification and the text of the Articles of Confederation reflected a suspicion between the state governments, each of which wanted to protect their own local interests rather than cede authority to the national government. — Donovan Fifield, The Conversation, 16 July 2026

Congress shall enact legislation to operationalize these requirements within a year of ratification of this Amendment. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ratification

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

ratification

noun

rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion

ˌrat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

: the action of ratifying