ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī 
ratified; ratifying
: to approve and sanction formally : confirm
ratify a treaty
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 Israeli government ratified the deal on Thursday, after which a ceasefire came into effect on Friday.
—
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
Israel’s cabinet ratified the agreement last night, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notably defying his hard-right coalition allies in supporting the deal.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Angelica had been reading up on the struggles of the Federalists, especially her brother-in-law Alexander Hamilton’s, to ratify their blueprint for the nation.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The agreement, ratified in 2011, required both nations to dispose of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratify
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Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2025
Israel’s cabinet ratified the agreement last night, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu notably defying his hard-right coalition allies in supporting the deal.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Angelica had been reading up on the struggles of the Federalists, especially her brother-in-law Alexander Hamilton’s, to ratify their blueprint for the nation.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The agreement, ratified in 2011, required both nations to dispose of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratify
Cite this Entry
“Ratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratify. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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