authenticate

verb

au·​then·​ti·​cate ə-ˈthen-ti-ˌkāt 

ȯ-

authenticated; authenticating

transitive verb

: to prove or serve to prove to be real, true, or genuine

authenticate a document

authenticator

ə-ˈthen-ti-ˌkā-tər 

ȯ-

noun

Synonyms

• attest
• avouch
• certify
• testify (to)
• vouch (for)
• witness

Choose the Right Synonym for authenticate

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 authenticate in a Sentence

The signature has been authenticated.

a jeweler authenticated the diamond as real

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of seeking undisclosed information, the attacker exploits the reflection mechanism to intercept and authenticate the connection without revealing their own identity, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the device. —Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

This item, also authenticated by Beckett, was sold for $138.60. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025

The database also gave anyone who came across it full database control and potential privilege escalation capabilities without needing to authenticate a user's identity and whether they were allowed to see this database. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025

The researchers demonstrate how an unprivileged remote attacker can then recover secrets stored in Gmail, Amazon, and Reddit when the target is authenticated. —Ars Technica, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin authenticātus, past participle of authenticāre "to stamp as genuine or authoritative," derivative of Latin authenticus "original (of documents)" — more at authentic

Note: Compare as a secondary source Middle French autentiquer "to guarantee that something conforms to a norm."

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for authenticate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

authenticate

verb

au·​then·​ti·​cate ə-ˈthent-i-ˌkāt 

ȯ-

authenticated; authenticating

: to prove or serve to prove that something is authentic

authentication

-ˌthent-i-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

authenticate

transitive verb

au·​then·​ti·​cate

authenticated; authenticating

1

: to prove or serve to prove that (something) is genuine

especially : to prove that (an item of evidence) is genuine for the purpose of establishing admissibility

2

: to make (a written instrument) valid and effective by marking especially with one's signature

authenticate a check