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 City University of New York has reached a tentative contract agreement with unionized faculty and staff that includes across-the-board raises and a ratification bonus, CUNY and the Professional Staff Congress announced Monday. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024

Amendments not only have to be approved by a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress, but ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2024

The ratification occurred after McCormick rejected the $56 billion package in January, as a way for Musk's lawyers to strengthen their legal case. —Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

In 1789, George Washington called for a national day of Thanksgiving so that everyone could express gratitude for the happy ending of the country's war of independence and the successful ratification of the American Constitution. —Pia Lauritzen, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

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