ratification

noun

plural ratifications
Synonyms of ratification
: the act or process of ratifying something (such as a treaty or amendment) : formal confirmation or sanction
… the ratification of the 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States.—Suzanne Travers
A treaty would require two-thirds approval in the Senate for ratification.—Lois Ember
More than 100 countries signed the Rome Treaty, and it is expected that the court will come into existence within the next year or two, when it receives the necessary sixty treaty ratifications.—Richard Falk

Examples of ratification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Turkey has submitted the agreement to parliament for ratification. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 The book is set 15 years later, in 1920, just after the ratification of the 19th Amendment. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 His civil rights advocacy was met with violent opposition, especially after the ratification of the 15th Amendment in February of 1870. — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026 But conservative opposition parties joined forces to reject the ratification of the measures in parliament on Friday. — Joseph Wilson, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ratification

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ratification was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ratification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratification. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

ratification

noun
rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion
ˌrat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
: the action of ratifying

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