certify
verb
cer·ti·fy
ˈsər-tə-ˌfī 
certified; certifying
1
: to attest authoritatively: such as
a
: confirm
b
: to present in formal communication
c
: to attest as being true or as represented or as meeting a standard
d
: to attest officially to the insanity of
3
: to guarantee (a personal check) as to signature and amount by so indicating on the face
4
: to recognize as having met special qualifications (as of a governmental agency or professional board) within a field
agencies that certify teachers
Synonyms
Examples of certify in a Sentence
A judge must certify the contract.
The document has been certified by the court.
The car dealer certifies each car before it is sold.
Has your doctor been certified?
Recent Examples on the Web
Following his loss in the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden, Trump did not concede and denied the election results — which, as vice president and the president of the Senate, was Pence's duty to certify.
—
Rachel Raposas, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab.
—Jonathan Purtell, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2025
The executive branch doesn't have a direct role in the amendment process, and Biden is not going to order the archivist to certify and publish the ERA, the White House told reporters on a conference call.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025
The leader of the National Archives had previously said that the amendment can not be certified because it wasn’t ratified before a deadline set by Congress.
—Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for certify 
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.
Rachel Raposas, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab.
—Jonathan Purtell, Verywell Health, 19 Jan. 2025
The executive branch doesn't have a direct role in the amendment process, and Biden is not going to order the archivist to certify and publish the ERA, the White House told reporters on a conference call.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025
The leader of the National Archives had previously said that the amendment can not be certified because it wasn’t ratified before a deadline set by Congress.
—Chris Megerian and Darlene Superville, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for certify
Dictionary Entries Near certify
Cite this Entry
“Certify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certify. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
certify
verb
cer·ti·fy
ˈsərt-ə-ˌfī
certified; certifying
1
: to guarantee to be true or valid or as claimed or meeting a standard
2
: to recognize as having met special qualifications within a field
certify teachers
certifiable
adjective
-ˌfī-ə-bəl
certification
noun
ˌsərt-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
Medical Definition
certify
verb
cer·ti·fy
ˈsərt-ə-ˌfī
certified; certifying
1
: to attest authoritatively
especially
: to attest officially to the mental illness of
2
: to designate as having met the requirements to practice medicine or a particular medical specialty
: to attest by a certificate
five year program leading to examination by the American Board which certifies in that specialty—Bulletin of Meharry Medical College
Bulletin of Meharry Medical College
certifiable
adjective
ˈsər-tə-ˌfī-ə-bəl, ˌsər-tə-ˈfī-
Legal Definition
certify
transitive verb
cer·ti·fy
ˈsər-tə-ˌfī
certified; certifying
1
: to state authoritatively: as
a
: to give assurance of the validity of
certify corporate records
b
: to present in formal communication (as an order) especially for review by an appellate court
the court may certify the question to the Supreme Judicial Court—R. T. Gerwatowski
see also certification
R. T. Gerwatowski
c
: to state as being true or as reported or as meeting a standard
refused to certify the suit as a class action and dismissed it—Marcia Coyle
Marcia Coyle2
: to guarantee (a personal check) as to signature and amount by so indicating (as by stamping certified) on the face see also certified check at check
3
a
b
: to designate (a labor union) as an exclusive bargaining agent or representative
Etymology
Medieval Latin certificare, from Late Latin, to assure, convince, from Latin certus certain + -ficare to make
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share