authenticate

verb

au·​then·​ti·​cate ə-ˈthen-ti-ˌkāt 

ȯ-

authenticated; authenticating

transitive verb

: to prove or serve to prove to be real, true, or genuine

authenticate a document

authenticator

ə-ˈthen-ti-ˌkā-tər 

ȯ-

noun

Synonyms

• attest
• avouch
• certify
• testify (to)
• vouch (for)
• witness

Choose the Right Synonym for authenticate

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 authenticate in a Sentence

The signature has been authenticated.

a jeweler authenticated the diamond as real

Recent Examples on the Web

The University of Maryland is developing a cryptographic system based on QR codes to authenticate unaltered live recordings. —Tiffany Hsu, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

Three years ago, a hacker claimed to have accessed 73 million AT&T customer records, but only released a small sample of them at the time that were hard to authenticate. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024

This is a way of authenticating the cotton, tracing it back to its origins: the farm, the harvest, even the very seed. —Sharon Edelson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The car was authenticated by Ferrari Classiche in 2013, its Red Book certification verifying that the car retains its matching-numbers chassis, engine, gearbox, rear axle, and coachwork. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024

Evidently authenticating the footage, Mayor Karen Bass confirmed to TV station NBC4 that people were seen parachuting off the building. —Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024

Once open, the page authenticates the same account to be opened on the TV app. —Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 12 Dec. 2023

About 15 years ago, Banksy established Pest Control, the official organization that authenticates the enigmatic street artist’s work. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024

Based on David Grann’s 2017 novel, the film drew on Osage support and guidance to authenticate its horrific true story about the epidemic of murders that plagued their recent ancestors in Oklahoma in the 1920s. —Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin authenticātus, past participle of authenticāre "to stamp as genuine or authoritative," derivative of Latin authenticus "original (of documents)" — more at authentic

Note: Compare as a secondary source Middle French autentiquer "to guarantee that something conforms to a norm."

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

authenticate

verb

au·​then·​ti·​cate ə-ˈthent-i-ˌkāt 

ȯ-

authenticated; authenticating

: to prove or serve to prove that something is authentic

authentication

-ˌthent-i-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

authenticate

transitive verb

au·​then·​ti·​cate

authenticated; authenticating

1

: to prove or serve to prove that (something) is genuine

especially : to prove that (an item of evidence) is genuine for the purpose of establishing admissibility

2

: to make (a written instrument) valid and effective by marking especially with one's signature

authenticate a check