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
Suzanne TraversA treaty would require two-thirds approval in the Senate for ratification.—Lois Ember
Lois EmberMore 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
Richard FalkExamples of ratification in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The modern federal income tax was created with the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913 but experts have cast doubt on it being upended any time soon.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The project lost financing from Amazon Prime Video Africa and South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, while also facing delays in the ratification of the Canada-South African co-production treaty.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025
If lawmakers in both chambers agree to a date, the Senate could vote on it and then send it back to the House for ratification.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Yet, after its ratification in 1870, Southern states set about trying to circumvent the amendment's intent by devising new ways to shape, control, and limit voting.
—Time, 29 Oct. 2025
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Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
The project lost financing from Amazon Prime Video Africa and South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, while also facing delays in the ratification of the Canada-South African co-production treaty.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025
If lawmakers in both chambers agree to a date, the Senate could vote on it and then send it back to the House for ratification.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Yet, after its ratification in 1870, Southern states set about trying to circumvent the amendment's intent by devising new ways to shape, control, and limit voting.
—Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratification
Cite this Entry
“Ratification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratification. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
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