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
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
Moraes was operating within a young and fragile constitution ratified in 1988 after years of autocratic rule, Brandao said, one that had failed so far to stem pervasive corruption in the country.
—Ron Kampeas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
The United States has also signed but not ratified the deal.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
The Brewers’ success was particularly gratifying for Main Street, as the franchise’s local ratings effectively ratified an earlier decision to remain in the RSN pool.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ratify
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JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025
Moraes was operating within a young and fragile constitution ratified in 1988 after years of autocratic rule, Brandao said, one that had failed so far to stem pervasive corruption in the country.
—Ron Kampeas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
The United States has also signed but not ratified the deal.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
The Brewers’ success was particularly gratifying for Main Street, as the franchise’s local ratings effectively ratified an earlier decision to remain in the RSN pool.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 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 11 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
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