ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī 
ratified; ratifying
: to approve and sanction formally : confirm
ratify a treaty
Synonyms
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
That is, if IATSE members choose to ratify the deals.
—
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 July 2024
When Major League Baseball and the Players Association ratified the current Collective Bargaining Agreement before the 2022 season, one-year contracts for arbitration-eligible players became fully guaranteed for the first time.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 July 2024
This news had been initially reported at the start of free agency last week, though James L. Edwards III of The Athletic had warned at the time that those reports were premature, and the team was finessing some elements of the agreement before it would be ratified.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
But despite the considerable political capital that the Biden administration has invested in negotiating the OECD’s framework, Congress almost certainly will not ratify it, since ratification requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
—Joseph E. Stiglitz, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify 
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 July 2024
When Major League Baseball and the Players Association ratified the current Collective Bargaining Agreement before the 2022 season, one-year contracts for arbitration-eligible players became fully guaranteed for the first time.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 July 2024
This news had been initially reported at the start of free agency last week, though James L. Edwards III of The Athletic had warned at the time that those reports were premature, and the team was finessing some elements of the agreement before it would be ratified.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
But despite the considerable political capital that the Biden administration has invested in negotiating the OECD’s framework, Congress almost certainly will not ratify it, since ratification requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
—Joseph E. Stiglitz, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ratify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ratify
Cite this Entry
“Ratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratify. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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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