verb

ratify

RAT-uh-fye/ˈrætɪfaɪ/

To formally approve an agreement or decision and make it valid.

The council ratifies the agreement after reviewing its final terms.

A senior official formally approves an agreement by pressing a large official seal onto its ribbon-bound document while a younger clerk presents it across a meeting table.

Etymology

The reckoning root yielded ratus, “fixed by calculation,” hence “determined” or “valid.” Joined to “make,” this gives the idea of making an agreement valid by formally approving it.

In context

Town of Amherst, MA23:39

we need a motion to approve the emergency certification uh yes to uh to ratify it

Conservation Commission Meeting Sep 13, 2023

More examples

Union members vote to ratify the new contract.
Enough states ratified the amendment to make it law.
The board is ratifying the committee’s decision today.

Forms

ratify · ratifies · ratified · ratifying

ratification noun — Formal approval that makes an agreement valid.

Similar words

approve: Expresses acceptance but does not necessarily make something legally valid.
confirm: Makes a decision definite, sometimes without a formal approval process.
sanction: Gives official permission, often before an action takes place.