certify

verb

ˈsər-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce certify (audio)
Definition of certifynext
1
as in to guarantee
to declare (something) to be true or genuine experts certified the letter as indeed having been written by Abraham Lincoln

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to enable
to give official or legal power to certified her as a teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to verify
to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of please bring in a doctor's note to certify that you were really sick

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb certify contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of certify are attest, vouch, and witness. While all these words mean "to testify to the truth or genuineness of something," certify usually applies to a written statement, especially one carrying a signature or seal.

certified that the candidate had met all requirements

When would attest be a good substitute for certify?

The meanings of attest and certify largely overlap; however, attest applies to oral or written testimony usually from experts or witnesses.

attested to the authenticity of the document

In what contexts can vouch take the place of certify?

In some situations, the words vouch and certify are roughly equivalent. However, vouch applies to one who testifies as a competent authority or a reliable person.

willing to vouch for her integrity

When could witness be used to replace certify?

Although the words witness and certify have much in common, witness applies to the subscribing of one's own name to a document as evidence of its genuineness.

witnessed the signing of the will

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of certify Lindsay and another sergeant lead three teams of six to seven officers who are required to take a 40-hour negotiation class to get certified. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2025 The teen also faces the same manslaughter charge, and a hearing to certify him as an adult is set for July 17. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 11 June 2025 By 2009, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. —Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 11 June 2025 When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as NSF, U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), or ConsumerLab.com. —Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for certify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for certify
  1. guarantee
  2. enable
  3. verify
  4. affirm
  5. authorize
  6. confirm
  7. attest
  8. empower
Verb
  • Though no losses are never guaranteed, trade structures can guarantee a max loss of a position, using things like call and put spreads to cap downside.
    — Alexander S. Blume, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • All Norton customers are guaranteed up to $1 million toward such expenses as paying lawyers and experts.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 7 June 2025
Definition of guarantee
Verb
  • Congress generally has 45 days to review and approve the request, but Vought is arguing that the end of the fiscal year would enable the administration to bypass a vote.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
  • Centralized registries could enable real-time tracking of donors.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Definition of enable
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Deloitte has established a clearinghouse that will be known as NIL Go, which will be used to verify whether deals between athletes and boosters or collectives are for a valid business purpose rather than a recruiting incentive.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2025
  • Consistent, accurate contact information helps both users and search engines verify your firm's legitimacy.
    — Anton Kovalchuk, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Definition of verify
Verb
  • Watkins’ conviction was overturned in 2023, affirming his innocence after years of efforts by his family and the Georgia Innocence Project, according to the lawsuit.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
  • Illinois hospital emergency departments must continue to provide abortions when necessary to pregnant women whose health is in danger, despite a change in federal guidance earlier this week, state leaders affirmed Wednesday.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Definition of affirm
Verb
  • By Friday, Marines had been deployed in Los Angeles, with little clarity on whether their guns contained live rounds and under what circumstances they were authorized to fire.
    — Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
  • An overwhelming 90% of the members of Vox Media Union had voted Thursday to authorize a strike if a deal was not reached by the time their current contract expired at 11:59 p.m.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 June 2025
Definition of authorize
Verb
  • Separately, a Downtown Fort Worth spokesperson confirmed this with the Star-Telegram and said there are no planned street closures around the event site.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2025
  • Okay, now that that’s out of the way— Dua Lipa finally confirms her engagement to Callum Turner to British Vogue, after several months of rumors.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 13 June 2025
Definition of confirm
Verb
  • But as the grieving families of the passengers aboard the Air India flight could attest, loss of life is much worse.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 13 June 2025
  • Thus, colleges should attest to their job placement rates and should have to answer accordingly if not high enough.
    — Nick Ladany, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Definition of attest
Verb
  • They’re featured in our content and empowered to lead across the organization.
    — Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 9 June 2025
  • This direct and encouraging approach can counteract any hesitancy stemming from a lack of confidence and empower women to embrace competitive opportunities.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Definition of empower

Browse Nearby Words

certifies
certify
certifying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Certify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certify. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on certify

Nglish: Translation of certify for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 3

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All