verify

verb

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

transitive verb

1
: to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of
verify the claim
2
: to confirm or substantiate in law by oath
verifier
ˈver-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce verify (audio)
noun

Synonyms of verify

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the airport, passengers must first have their identity verified with a REAL ID, often using facial recognition technology. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Formally verified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI), this benchmark shows the technical progress in scaling up high-efficiency thin-film architectures beyond sub-centimeter laboratory devices. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 The report also alleges the agency has set up a policy for verifying ballot envelopes that could result in many voters not getting their ballots in time for the midterm election or at all. — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026 This allows teams to verify information against the original recording. — Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for verify

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

Rhymes for verify

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Browse Nearby Words

verifier
verify
verily
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Cite this Entry

“Verify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verify. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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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
-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce verify (audio)
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

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