ratification

noun

rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌra-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

plural ratifications

: the act or process of ratifying something (such as a treaty or amendment) : formal confirmation or sanction

… the ratification of the 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States.

—Suzanne Travers

A treaty would require two-thirds approval in the Senate for ratification.

—Lois Ember

More than 100 countries signed the Rome Treaty, and it is expected that the court will come into existence within the next year or two, when it receives the necessary sixty treaty ratifications.

—Richard Falk

Examples of ratification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The agreement now requires ratification by Teamsters members. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 1 Feb. 2025

The dispute with Canada and Mexico was eventually solved by the ratification of a three-way trade agreement and after a long back-and-forth. —Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025

Its findings will proceed to the La Jolla Community Planning Association for ratification or additional review. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025

Any change to the Constitution requires supermajority votes in Congress, and then ratification by three-quarters of the states. —Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ratification

noun

rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion

ˌrat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

: the action of ratifying