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

With the tentative deal now in place, the union now moves to the agreement ratification process, with both parties agreeing not to engage in any strike or lockout activity. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025

The ratification arrives a little over a year after intimacy coordinators unanimously voted to join SAG-AFTRA in a National Labor Relations Board election. —Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025

In Virginia, Governor Edmund Randolph, who had served as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention just months before, now presided over his state’s ratification debate. —Time, 17 Dec. 2025

Since ratification in 1868, the answer has been yes. —James Sample, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2025

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