confirmation

American  

[kon-fer-mey-shuhn] / ˌkɒn fərˈmeɪ ʃən /

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.

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confirmation British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• confirmational adjective
• nonconfirmation noun
• preconfirmation noun
• reconfirmation noun
• self-confirmation noun
• superconfirmation noun

Etymology

Origin of confirmation

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

Example Sentences

“Unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.”

From Los Angeles Times

The yen held steady against the dollar as traders watched for confirmation of Bank of Japan intervention.

From The Wall Street Journal

Speaking to reporters ahead of a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Shin said robust foreign inflows into the local bond market, particularly through foreign-exchange swaps, have helped underpin dollar funding conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Not quite a confirmation, but an invitation to join my journey on the road to acceptance.

From Literature

While the announcement of flights was "promising" for tourism, "there is still no further confirmation regarding Western tourists", Young Pioneer tour manager Rowan Beard said.

From Barron's

Related Words

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