Ratifications

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An official approval or confirmation of an agreement or treaty, often occurring after initial signing
2. A process where a governing body formally agrees to a previously negotiated legal document
3. The means through which an entity validates commitments made in diplomatic or legal contexts

Etymology: "Ratifications" is the plural of "ratification," which entered English from Middle French "ratification," itself taken from Medieval Latin "ratificatio." The Latin base is "ratus," the past participle of "reri," meaning to reckon or judge, so the core idea is that something has been deemed valid or sound. Later Latin built "ratificare" from "ratus" plus "facere," to make, giving the sense of making a thing firm or valid. The plural form is simply the ordinary English way of counting multiple formal approvals, typically of treaties or agreements that several parties must confirm before they take effect. Over the centuries the word has kept its core meaning of making something binding, moving from general judgment into the language of formal, legal consent.

Synonyms: approvals, confirmations