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
With these possibilities in plain view, the amendment was ratified in 1868.
—
Rachel Morris, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Crawford — who was born in 1920, the year the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified — is a member of the Michigan Rosies, a part of the Rosie the Riveter Association.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025
The musicians did reach a tentative agreement after that session and ratified their new contract.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
In 1788, when the Constitution was ratified, the new US governmental framework famously included a clause in its First Amendment to prevent any laws that infringed on the freedom of the press.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratify
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Morris, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Crawford — who was born in 1920, the year the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified — is a member of the Michigan Rosies, a part of the Rosie the Riveter Association.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025
The musicians did reach a tentative agreement after that session and ratified their new contract.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
In 1788, when the Constitution was ratified, the new US governmental framework famously included a clause in its First Amendment to prevent any laws that infringed on the freedom of the press.
—JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 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 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share