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as in to guarantee
to declare (something) to be true or genuine experts certified the letter as indeed having been written by Abraham Lincoln

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb certify contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of certify are attest, vouch, and witness. While all these words mean "to testify to the truth or genuineness of something," certify usually applies to a written statement, especially one carrying a signature or seal.

certified that the candidate had met all requirements

When would attest be a good substitute for certify?

The meanings of attest and certify largely overlap; however, attest applies to oral or written testimony usually from experts or witnesses.

attested to the authenticity of the document

In what contexts can vouch take the place of certify?

In some situations, the words vouch and certify are roughly equivalent. However, vouch applies to one who testifies as a competent authority or a reliable person.

willing to vouch for her integrity

When could witness be used to replace certify?

Although the words witness and certify have much in common, witness applies to the subscribing of one's own name to a document as evidence of its genuineness.

witnessed the signing of the will

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 certify That day, rioters broke into the Capitol and hunted for then Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress fulfilling their duty to certify the election win of President Biden. Rachel Clarke, CNN Money, 24 June 2025 Electric passenger aircraft have flown in the US before, but only in test flights: ALIA was under the jurisdiction of normal air traffic control, following US regulators’ move to certify air taxis and other electric aircraft in October. Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 23 June 2025 To certify a class of plaintiffs, a court must find that the plaintiffs are in largely similar legal and factual situations. ArsTechnica, 20 June 2025 When Culture Change Becomes A Game Everyone Knows How To Play Are you certified in pretending to learn while multitasking? Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for certify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for certify
Verb
  • Trump is exerting significant pressure on holdouts to fall in line, but passage in the lower chamber is not guaranteed.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 1 July 2025
  • That’s when the 26-year-old’s $7.7 million salary for the 2025-26 season was supposed to be fully guaranteed.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Fresh droppings often contain viral RNA, enabling researchers to recover full genomes and assess the pathogenic potential of circulating strains.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • This includes mini-rovers, crewed lunar rovers, and all kinds of instrumentation that will enable lunar exploration, development, and in-situ resource development.
    Space.com Staff, Space.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • For all July 4 plans involving alcohol, plan ahead and verify specific store hours or delivery options directly with retailers.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
  • And states, which administer Medicaid, would have to set up systems to verify a person's employment or exemption status.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • The resolution, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, aimed to affirm that Trump should seek authorization from Congress before launching more military action against Iran.
    Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
  • Since January 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has tracked nearly 600 anti-LGBTQ state legislative bills across the United States targeting transgender youth, restricting access to affirming services and limiting public expression of LGBTQ+ identities.
    Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The Sacramento County of Education authorized a separate audit in 2018 that raised similar concerns about internal practices.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
  • The alert also relayed that the FDA had authorized these monitors for wired functionality only.
    Christian Espinosa, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • One reviewer with the latter confirmed that even after miles of walking, the shoes don’t rub or cause any blisters.
    Shalwah Evans, People.com, 6 July 2025
  • Jones provided those services to the youth mentoring group for its annual conferences between 2019 and 2024 under a different audiovisual company, American Electronic Entertainment, aka, AEE Productions, 100 Black Men of America confirmed.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • William Saller, a seasoned entrepreneur, can attest to that.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 23 June 2025
  • Three times uprooted Nataliia Piven can attest to that.
    Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • As digital environments grow increasingly complex, security graphs are quickly becoming indispensable for understanding system access and network activity and empowering security teams to better anticipate, detect and contain breaches.
    Ben Verghese, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Our Food and Wine stage will focus on empowering attendees to transform their culinary passions into thriving ventures.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Certify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certify. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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