Synonym Chooser

How does the verb authenticate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of authenticate are confirm, corroborate, substantiate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When might confirm be a better fit than authenticate?

While the synonyms confirm and authenticate are close in meaning, confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

Where would corroborate be a reasonable alternative to authenticate?

The words corroborate and authenticate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

In what contexts can substantiate take the place of authenticate?

The words substantiate and authenticate can be used in similar contexts, but substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

When is it sensible to use validate instead of authenticate?

While in some cases nearly identical to authenticate, validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When can verify be used instead of authenticate?

Although the words verify and authenticate have much in common, 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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of authenticate Managers from both authenticated the videos from the stand and were not cross-examined. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2025 Designed to authenticate digital accounts as belonging to real, unique humans rather than automated systems, proof-of-human mechanisms can take on different forms in the context of video games. Steven Smith, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 Users can now access the feature and view the screen captures after authenticating their identities via Windows Hello. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025 Requiring two people to authenticate bank transfers can go a long way in getting an extra set of eyes on the issue. Kevin Korte, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for authenticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authenticate
Verb
  • Ten of those 21 controllers and supervisors are receiving on-the-job training; all 10 are certified in at least one position, and two are certified in multiple positions.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
  • Those investments are on hold, and there is no way to get new respirators certified.
    Claudio Dente, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • Almost 82,000 also provided data from activity trackers that allowed researchers to verify their speed.
    Simon Spichak, Health, 2 May 2025
  • America, meet the Orb: a bold new attempt to verify you’re not a bot — just by looking you in the eye.
    Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • And yet, the arc of history is not guaranteed to bend toward justice.
    Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
  • The founding documents of the United States of America guarantee unalienable rights to the people.
    Moti Mizrahi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • The news was confirmed via a public obituary and his daughter Anne Marie Scalies’ statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 May 2025
  • Google has confirmed the latest warnings — that Gmail accounts are under attack, and has issued some simple, critical advice.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
Verb
  • But all eyes are likely to be on A$AP Rocky, who’s done some scattered acting before, but who appears in his biggest role to date as Yung Felon, a part whose place in the story has yet to be revealed, but that’s been affirmed by Lee to be a major one.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 13 May 2025
  • The new pope’s brother had to resolve an online dispute by affirming Leo is a fan of the South Side’s Chicago White Sox and not the North Side’s Cubs.
    Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The support isn’t close to luxurious, to which anyone who has seen Section 8 apartments or public housing developments can attest.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
  • Play me off … ‘The Imperial March’ As any member of the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire will attest, today — the fourth day of May — is Star Wars Day!
    Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 4 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Authenticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authenticate. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on authenticate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!