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DictionaryvalidateConfirm validity
verb

validate

VAL-ih-dayt/ˈvælɪdeɪt/

To establish or acknowledge something as legitimate.

The inspector validates the ticket with a scanner showing a green check.

A ticket inspector validates a passenger’s ticket with a handheld scanner; a prominent green check on the scanner visibly confirms acceptance.
Etymology
validateLatinmake valid

The source verb means making something valid, especially giving it legal force. The broader sense carries this idea into confirmation: establishing that something is sound or acceptable.

In context

Empowering Insights13:16
Waiting for someone else to validate your pain is like handing them the keys to your emotional life. You're saying, "I can't move forward until you tell me I'm allowed to feel what I feel."
How to Make Peace with People You’ll Never Reconcile With | BRENE BROWN

More examples

  • The website validates your email address before creating an account.
  • You can validate her feelings without agreeing with her decision.
  • A witness's signature validates the agreement.

Forms

validate · validates · validated · validating

validation noun — The act of establishing or acknowledging legitimacy.

Similar words

verify
Verify emphasizes checking truth or accuracy rather than acknowledging legitimacy.
affirm
Affirm emphasizes expressing support or acceptance rather than checking validity.
certify
Certify emphasizes official approval, often documented by an authorized person.