ratification

noun

rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌra-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

plural ratifications

: 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

Six months later, the ratification of the 13th Amendment permanently ended slavery in the United States. — ABC News, 7 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

In addition to the 10% ratification wage increase, the four-year contract includes annual raises of 4%, with an increase of up to 6% based on merit. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2026

Supported by both major political parties, and Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter, the Equal Rights Amendment was sent to the states for ratification. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ratification

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

ratification

noun

rat·​i·​fi·​ca·​tion

ˌrat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

: the action of ratifying