verify

verb

ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce verify (audio)
verified; verifying

transitive verb

1
: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of
verify the claim
2
: to confirm or substantiate in law by oath
verifier noun
Choose the Right Synonym for verify

confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth or validity of something.

confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

Examples of verify in a Sentence

She verified her flight number. He verified that the item was in stock. Can you verify whether I am scheduled to work or not?
Recent Examples on the Web In yet another case, the fraudster pretended to be calling from a credit bureau to verify the victim’s Social Security number. Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The app asked users to verify their school email addresses to create an account. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 The department said Animal Care and Enforcement canvassed the area of Timber Ridge Road to alert the community about the positive rabies results, as well as verify rabies vaccinations for peoples’ pets in the area. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 The Republic could not verify the authenticity of the post. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Those claims could not be immediately independently verified. Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 But according to police, the location of Ly and Tran couldn't be verified. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Among has not commented on the online campaign, and The Associated Press could not independently verify the allegations posted by its organizers, who include Jimmy Ssentongo, a prominent rights activist in Uganda. Rodney Muhumuza, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Rather than having students write essays at home and risk the potential for AI plagiarism, in-class work offers a low-tech approach to monitoring keystrokes with additional benefits beyond verifying authenticity. Ulrich Boser, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English verifien, borrowed from Anglo-French verifier, borrowed from Medieval Latin vērificāre, from Latin vērus "true" + -ficāre -fy — more at very entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of verify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near verify

Cite this Entry

“Verify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verify. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

verify

verb
ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce verify (audio)
verified; verifying
: to prove or check the truth, accuracy, or reality of
verify the claim
verifier noun
Etymology

Middle English verifien "to establish the truth of," from early French verifier (same meaning), from Latin verificare (same meaning), from earlier verus "true" — related to verdict, very

Legal Definition

verify

transitive verb
ver·​i·​fy ˈver-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce verify (audio)
verified; verifying
1
: to confirm or substantiate by oath, affidavit, or deposition
verify a motion
2
: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of
Etymology

Anglo-French verifier, from Medieval Latin verificare, from Latin verus true + -ficare to make

More from Merriam-Webster on verify

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!