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
So in 1933, the 20th Amendment was ratified, changing Inauguration Day to Jan. 20 and the first session of the new Congress to Jan. 3.
—
Chantelle Lee, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Image Israel’s government will most likely ratify the agreement today.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Inaugurations used to be held in March until the 20th Amendment was ratified in 1933, stating that the president's term began at noon on Jan. 20.
—Max Golembo, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2025
The accord must also still be ratified by the Israeli cabinet.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
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.
Chantelle Lee, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Image Israel’s government will most likely ratify the agreement today.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Inaugurations used to be held in March until the 20th Amendment was ratified in 1933, stating that the president's term began at noon on Jan. 20.
—Max Golembo, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2025
The accord must also still be ratified by the Israeli cabinet.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
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 23 Jan. 2025.
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