certify
verb
cer·ti·fy ˈsər-tə-ˌfī 
certified; certifying
transitive verb
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
2
: to inform with certainty : assure
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
certifier
ˈsər-tə-ˌfī(-ə)r
noun 
Synonyms
- attest
- authenticate
- avouch
- testify (to)
- vouch (for)
- witness
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Trump and his backers, despite no evidence of fraud, demanded that the board refuse to certify the results. 
Kathleen Foody, ajc, 31 Aug. 2022 Several hundred votes remain to be counted in the district's other counties, but counties have until Aug. 16 to finish their count and for canvassing boards to certify the results, followed by certification by the secretary of state by Aug. 19. Rachel La Corte, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2022 County canvassing boards are set to certify results Aug. 16. Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 6 Aug. 2022 Some Republican officials have gone so far as to refuse to certify election results even when the outcome would benefit their party. Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022 Most Americans think at least somewhat likely in the future, according to our polling, election officials will refuse to certify result for political reasons. CBS News, 26 June 2022 Republican election sabotage, in which GOP officials refuse to certify the winners, has started. Laurence H. Tribe And Dennis Aftergut, CNN, 20 June 2022 But as Trump failed in earlier attempts to reverse the outcome, lawyer John Eastman began promoting a plan to have Pence refuse to certify electors. NBC News, 19 June 2022 Jones was a leading proponent of baseless claims that Trump’s reelection was subverted by systematic fraud and that Congress could refuse to certify Joe Biden’s victory. Beth Reinhard, Washington Post, 15 June 2022 See More
Kathleen Foody, ajc, 31 Aug. 2022 Several hundred votes remain to be counted in the district's other counties, but counties have until Aug. 16 to finish their count and for canvassing boards to certify the results, followed by certification by the secretary of state by Aug. 19. Rachel La Corte, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2022 County canvassing boards are set to certify results Aug. 16. Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 6 Aug. 2022 Some Republican officials have gone so far as to refuse to certify election results even when the outcome would benefit their party. Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022 Most Americans think at least somewhat likely in the future, according to our polling, election officials will refuse to certify result for political reasons. CBS News, 26 June 2022 Republican election sabotage, in which GOP officials refuse to certify the winners, has started. Laurence H. Tribe And Dennis Aftergut, CNN, 20 June 2022 But as Trump failed in earlier attempts to reverse the outcome, lawyer John Eastman began promoting a plan to have Pence refuse to certify electors. NBC News, 19 June 2022 Jones was a leading proponent of baseless claims that Trump’s reelection was subverted by systematic fraud and that Congress could refuse to certify Joe Biden’s victory. Beth Reinhard, Washington Post, 15 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English certifien, from Anglo-French certefier, from Late Latin certificare, from Latin certus certain — more at certain
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
certify
verb
cer·ti·fy ˈsər-tə-ˌfī
certified; certifying
1
: to show to be true or as claimed by a formal or official statement
Only the teacher can certify test scores.
2
: to guarantee the quality, fitness, or value of officially
certified milk
certify a check
3
: to show to have met certain requirements
His school needs to certify him for graduation.
Medical Definition
certify
verb
cer·ti·fy ˈsərt-ə-ˌfī
certified; certifying
transitive verb
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
intransitive verb
: 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 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
: certificate, license
b
: to designate (a labor union) as an exclusive bargaining agent or representative
certifies
verb
1
as in affirms
to declare (something) to be true or genuine experts certified the letter as indeed having been written by Abraham Lincoln Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- affirms
- authenticates
- attests
- guarantees
- asserts
- witnesses
- testifies (to)
- vouches (for)
- avows
- professes
- avouches
- avers
- vows
- warrants
2
as in enables
to give official or legal power to certified her as a teacher Synonyms & Similar Words
- enables
- authorizes
- empowers
- qualifies
- accredits
- licenses
- invests
- entitles
- approves
- warrants
- permits
- endorses
- allows
- affirms
- commissions
- confirms
- vests
- validates
- charters
- credentials
- licences
- initiates
- installs
- indorses
- inducts
- sanctions
- okays
- inaugurates
- lets
- clears
- instates
- OKs
- privileges
- swears in
- enfranchises
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disqualifies
- denies
- prevents
- excludes
- discourages
- disallows
- inhibits
- obstructs
- hinders
- prohibits
- impedes
- blocks
- stops
- forbids
- constrains
- bans
- proscribes
- enjoins
- bars
- holds back
- disenfranchises
- disbars
- disfranchises
- vetoes
- outlaws
- shuts out
- interdicts
3
as in verifies
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
- verifies
- confirms
- argues
- supports
- authenticates
- validates
- attests
- proves
- corroborates
- vindicates
- demonstrates
- substantiates
- bears out
- affirms
- witnesses
- establishes
- reinforces
- guarantees
- documents
- declares
- asserts
- professes
- avows
- avers
- warrants
- testifies (to)
- vouches (for)
- avouches
- reenforces
- backs (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- refutes
- disproves
- contradicts
- denies
- rebuts
- disavows
- disclaims
- gainsays
- challenges
- disputes
- contests
- questions
- internships
- internuclear
- internucleon
- internucleotide
- internunce
- internuncial
- internunciary
- internuncii
- internuncio
- internuncios
- internuncius
- internuptial
- interobjective distance
- interobserver
- interobservers
- interocean
- interoceanic
- interoceptia
- interoceptions
- interoceptive
- interoceptor
- interoceptors
- interocular
- interoffice
- interoperabilities