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 According to multiple former and current employees and health agency documents, the HHS employee directory helps workers locate and authenticate their colleagues. Pratheek Rebala, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2025 The baseball was set aside and authenticated. Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025 According to manufacturer materials, the technology allows officers to authenticate identities within seconds and access criminal justice records from multiple jurisdictions once a person is enrolled in a national biometric database. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025 Certified Collectibles Group, which got its start authenticating collectible coins in the late 1980s, is seeing its young sports card grading business boom. Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 2 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for authenticate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authenticate
Verb
  • Airlines for America, a trade group representing American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other carriers, asked the agency to delay the compliance by two years because the FAA had yet to certify the barriers, and no manuals, procedures or training programs were authorized.
    Colson Thayer, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Qualified instructors must be previously certified as an air traffic controller with experience in an airport facility, Kendall told Forbes.
    Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The news organizations verified the data, including by soliciting input from professors at universities in Texas.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
  • At one point during the hearing, the Health secretary claimed that Black boys who receive the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine have a higher risk of autism, which has never been verified by scientists.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But Prescott's return and the addition of Pickens alone don't guarantee that Dallas will be a top-flight offense.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Quench them with a copious deluge of water and stir to guarantee complete cooling.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The 200-acre campus, now called Aspiria, is a contender for a potential Royals ballpark after the team confirmed that an affiliate purchased the mortgage of the campus in the spring, giving the team some financial leverage over the site.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as Daniella Weisman from Glencoe, a spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.
    Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In a Chinese readout of a meeting with Xi on Sunday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev affirmed support for Beijing's stance on Taiwan, and signed documents for cooperation on AI.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Indeed, concentration camps prove to be a viable political option with a friendly Supreme Court ready to affirm President Cadwallader’s unprecedented use of executive orders.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Brickell Run Club can attest to the heat island effect.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
  • After having this bed in her home for the last eight years, contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert can attest that the features Mafi noted are true.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Authenticate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authenticate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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