Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A document establishing the authenticity of certain details of an item, event, or transaction.
  • noun A document issued to a person completing a course of study not leading to a diploma.
  • noun A document certifying that a person may officially practice in certain professions.
  • noun A document certifying ownership.
  • transitive verb To furnish with, testify to, or authorize by a certificate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An official written representation that some act has or has not been done, or that some event has occurred, or that some formal legal requirement has been ful-filled.
  • noun A document used in the British custom-house by which certain goods formerly imported can be exported and the duties paid upon importation refunded.
  • noun The opinion of the court, signed by the judges, upon a question of law submitted to them by the chancellor for their decision.
  • To give a certificate to, as to one who has passed an examination; furnish with a certificate: as, to certificate the captain of a vessel.
  • To attest, certify, or vouch for by certificate: as, to certificate a fact.
  • noun In a general sense, a written testimony to the truth of something; a paper written in order to serve as evidence of a matter of fact.
  • noun In a more particular sense, a statement written and signed (usually by some public officer), but not necessarily nor usually sworn to, which is by law made evidence of the truth of the facts stated, for all or for certain purposes.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A written testimony to the truth of any fact.
  • noun A written declaration legally authenticated.
  • noun a trial which the testimony of the person certifying is the only proper criterion of the point in dispute; as, when the issue is whether a person was absent in the army, this is tried by the certificate of the proper officer in writing, under his seal.
  • transitive verb To verify or vouch for by certificate.
  • transitive verb To furnish with a certificate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A document containing a certified statement.
  • noun A document evidencing ownership or debt.
  • noun computing theory The information needed in order to verify a positive answer to a problem.
  • verb To supply with a certificate, especially following certification

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
  • verb authorize by certificate
  • noun a formal declaration that documents a fact of relevance to finance and investment; the holder has a right to receive interest or dividends
  • verb present someone with a certificate

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English certificat, from Old French, from Medieval Latin certificātum, something certified, from neuter of Late Latin certificātus, past participle of certificāre, to certify; see certify.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word certificate.

Examples

  • However, at some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    The Hiss Case: An Exchange Levin, David 1976

  • Apparently Rosen did not sign the title certificate dated July 23, 1936.

    The Hiss Case: An Exchange Levin, David 1976

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] FOIA 2010

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2009

  • [A] t some later date, a man came to see Rosen and told him that the title certificate to the Ford was in Rosen's name and asked Rosen to sign an assignment of it to some other person.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.