ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī 
ratified; ratifying
: to approve and sanction formally : confirm
ratify a treaty
Synonyms
Examples of ratify in a Sentence
A number of countries have refused to ratify the treaty.
Lincoln's home state of Illinois was the first to ratify the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provided for the abolition of slavery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Only 27 amendments have been ratified throughout U.S. history, most recently in 1992.
—
Tobi Raji The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 8 Dec. 2024
The Phi Beta Kappa Society remains the oldest academic honor society in the U.S.
1933: Prohibition ended with ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the nation’s only amendment of 27 ratified to have repealed another amendment.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
Neither the agreement nor the sidebar later have been ratified by the U.N. Security Council, which held closed-door consultations on the matter Wednesday.
—Tovah Lazaroff, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
In arguing to get the 2018 package reinstated, Tesla's lawyers pointed out that the company's shareholders had voted to ratify it again in June, five months after McCormick's initial ruling to void the package.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify 
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Tobi Raji The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 8 Dec. 2024
The Phi Beta Kappa Society remains the oldest academic honor society in the U.S.
1933: Prohibition ended with ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the nation’s only amendment of 27 ratified to have repealed another amendment.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2024
Neither the agreement nor the sidebar later have been ratified by the U.N. Security Council, which held closed-door consultations on the matter Wednesday.
—Tovah Lazaroff, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
In arguing to get the 2018 package reinstated, Tesla's lawyers pointed out that the company's shareholders had voted to ratify it again in June, five months after McCormick's initial ruling to void the package.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify
Dictionary Entries Near ratify
Cite this Entry
“Ratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratify. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ratify
verb
rat·i·fy
ˈrat-ə-ˌfī
ratified; ratifying
: to give legal or official approval to
ratify a treaty
Legal Definition
ratify
transitive verb
rat·i·fy
ˈra-tə-ˌfī
ratified; ratifying
: to make valid or effective
especially
: to adopt or affirm (as the prior act or contract of an agent) by express or implied consent with the effect of original authorization
unable to rescind the contract because he ratified it by accepting the benefits
compare reform
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