confirmation

[ kon-fer-mey-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act or instance of confirming, or of establishing someone or something, as by verifying, approving, or corroborating:

   The study is an attempt at the scientific confirmation of previous anecdotal results.

   The nomination and confirmation of this candidate as Court of Appeals Judge is a step in the right direction.

2. Religion.
   1. a rite in some Christian churches, in which baptized individuals profess their faith, are accorded status as full members, and, in some denominations, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
   2. a solemn ceremony among Reform and certain Conservative Jews, admitting young people to adult membership in the Jewish community after completion of a prescribed course of study.
3. something that confirms, confirm, as a corroborative statement or piece of evidence:

   His birth certificate served as confirmation of his citizenship.

confirmation

/ ˌkɒnfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of confirming
2. something that confirms; verification
3. a rite in several Christian churches that confirms a baptized person in his or her faith and admits him or her to full participation in the church
4. (in the philosophy of science) the relationship between an observation and the theory which it supposedly renders more probable Compare hypothetico-deductive

Other Words From

• con·fir·ma·tion·al adjective
• non·con·fir·ma·tion noun
• pre·con·fir·ma·tion noun
• re·con·fir·ma·tion noun
• self-con·fir·ma·tion noun
• su·per·con·fir·ma·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of confirmation¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French and Latin confirmātiōn-, stem of confirmātiō; confirm, -ation

Example Sentences

Vance, a senator from Ohio for less than two years, was squiring Gaetz around to his Republican colleagues’ offices in hopes of persuading them to support confirmation of the manifestly unqualified Cabinet pick.

From Los Angeles Times

The recently released report brings more questions to what was already gearing up to be a controversial confirmation process for Hegseth’s nomination as U.S. secretary of Defense.

From Los Angeles Times

Democrats have argued that their findings would be important to consider before any confirmation hearings on Gaetz's potential cabinet position.

From Salon

“Make no mistake: This information could be relevant to the question of Mr Gaetz’s confirmation as the next attorney general of the United States, and our constitutional responsibility of advice and consent,” Durbin said.

From BBC

At the time of the Nov. 5 election, there were 47 vacancies on the federal bench, with 17 nominees awaiting confirmation.

From Salon

Related Words

• acceptance
• admission
• affirmation
• approval
• authorization
• consent
• corroboration
• endorsement
• evidence
• green light
• passage
• recognition
• testimony
• verification