ratify

verb

rat·​i·​fy ˈra-tə-ˌfī 

ratified; ratifying

transitive verb

: to approve and sanction formally : confirm

ratify a treaty

ratifier

ˈra-tə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms of ratify

• approve
• confirm

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 Sacramento City Teachers Association and Sacramento City Unified School District have ratified a new labor agreement expected to provide more than $97 million in financial relief and help the district avoid insolvency. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026

Sheinbaum has said that little evidence has emerged to substantiate claims of cartels interfering with elections, and noted that a state-level electoral tribunal ratified Rocha’s win in Sinaloa, after examining reports of irregularities. — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Christoph Sperfeldt, a researcher who focuses on statelessness, explains that few Southeast Asian countries ratified the major international agreements adopted in 1954 and 1961. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 24 July 2026

The pact finally passed the European Parliament in early June and was ratified by the European Council late last month. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ratifien, from Anglo-French ratifier, from Medieval Latin ratificare, from Latin ratus determined, from past participle of reri to calculate — more at reason entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ratify

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids 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

ratification

ˌra-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

ratifier

ˈra-tə-ˌfī-ər 

noun