verify

verb

ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī 

verified; verifying

transitive verb

1

: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of

verify the claim

2

: to confirm or substantiate in law by oath

verifier

ˈver-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

• confirm

Choose the Right Synonym for verify

confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth or validity of something.

confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

Examples of verify in a Sentence

She verified her flight number.

He verified that the item was in stock.

Can you verify whether I am scheduled to work or not?

Recent Examples on the Web

The office's typical security measure asks people to supply a bank letter verifying the information given, but that was forged as well. —David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 2 Sep. 2025

Each Prada Fine Jewelry Couleur Vivante piece has been recorded on the Aura Consortium Blockchain platform, through which customers can verify the authenticity of their jewelry and access key provenance information on the gemstones used in each design. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2025

Enter the promo code NEWSWEEK along with basic personal information, like your name, date of birth, mailing address and more to verify your identity and secure your account. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English verifien, borrowed from Anglo-French verifier, borrowed from Medieval Latin vērificāre, from Latin vērus "true" + -ficāre -fy — more at very entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for verify

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

verify

verb

ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī 

verified; verifying

: to prove or check the truth, accuracy, or reality of

verify the claim

verifier

-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Etymology

Middle English verifien "to establish the truth of," from early French verifier (same meaning), from Latin verificare (same meaning), from earlier verus "true" — related to verdict, very

Legal Definition

verify

transitive verb

ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī 

verified; verifying

1

: to confirm or substantiate by oath, affidavit, or deposition

verify a motion

2

: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of

Etymology

Anglo-French verifier, from Medieval Latin verificare, from Latin verus true + -ficare to make