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
The teachers union ratified the contract with a 98% vote in favor, according to the district.
—
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
Still, not enough states had ratified the ERA by the time the second deadline came around.
—Amy Shoenthal, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Those tear gases, most commonly used by riot police officers to control crowds, are banned in warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an arms control treaty ratified by more than 150 countries, including Russia.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2024
The 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951, following the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms between 1933 and 1945.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ratify 
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.
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
Still, not enough states had ratified the ERA by the time the second deadline came around.
—Amy Shoenthal, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Those tear gases, most commonly used by riot police officers to control crowds, are banned in warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an arms control treaty ratified by more than 150 countries, including Russia.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2024
The 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951, following the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms between 1933 and 1945.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 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 25 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share