What does verify mean?
Verify is a verb meaning to establish that something is true, accurate, authentic, or correctly performed. It is commonly used when a claim, calculation, document, identity, or scientific result needs to be checked against reliable evidence. The verb can suggest careful examination, such as verifying a statement before publication, or independent confirmation, such as repeating a test to verify its result. In official and professional contexts, it conveys caution and a demand for evidence. The related words verification, verifiable, and verifier express the process or quality of being checked. Verify is related in meaning to confirm and substantiate, but it often has a more investigative or evidential character. Its Latin root literally conveys the idea of making something true, reflecting the belief that a claim becomes trustworthy when it is supported and checked.
verbTo establish the truth, accuracy, or authenticity of something, especially by checking evidence or comparing information. It can also mean to confirm that a statement, account, or procedure is correct.
- To establish or confirm the truth or accuracy of a statement, belief, or piece of information.
- To check the authenticity or identity of a person, document, object, or account.
- To confirm that a result, calculation, or procedure is correct, often by independent means.
"The researchers independently verified the findings by repeating the experiments."
"Please verify the figures before sending the report."
"The official was asked to verify her identity using the original passport."
Verify literally means to make true: it turns belief into something supported by evidence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does verify come from?
Verify comes from Latin verificare, formed from verus, meaning true, and facere, meaning to make. English usage dates from the early 17th century. The same Latin root of truth underlies cognates such as veracity, veritable, and verity.
Related word forms
How verify is actually used
Verify is formal and widely used in professional, academic, legal, and everyday contexts. It often implies a deliberate check against evidence, rather than merely accepting information on trust.
Easily confused with verify
Verify means checking that something is true or accurate, whereas certify usually means officially confirming that someone or something meets a specified standard.