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

The agreement — which requires ratification by the Ukrainian parliament — would establish a reconstruction fund for Ukraine that Ukrainian officials hope will be a vehicle to ensure future American military assistance. —Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025

This was done through the passage and ratification of the 22nd Amendment, which became part of the U.S. Constitution in 1951. —Mark Satta, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2025

Any change would then require ratification from three-quarters of the states. —Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2025

In 1787, right after the ratification of the Constitution, the U.S. government charted the Bank of the United States. —Time, 23 May 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