certificate

The word “certificate” means an official document confirming a fact, qualification, or achievement. In plain terms, an official paper proving something is true, or the act of issuing one.

“Certificate” is pronounced suh-TIHF-ih-kayt (/səˈtɪf.ɪˌkeɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “certificate” used in a sentence: “She framed her university certificate and hung it on the wall.”

Depending on how it is used, “certificate” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “certificate” comes from Medieval Latin. From Old French certificat, ultimately from Medieval Latin certificatum, related to certify.

“Certificate” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Certificate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an official document confirming a fact, qualification, or achievement.

A certificate is an official document confirming a fact, qualification, or achievement, and can be issued for short courses or single events. A diploma usually recognizes completion of a longer, more comprehensive course of study, so it often represents a higher or fuller level of achievement.

A certificate confirms that a fact, qualification, or achievement is true, while a license grants official permission to do something, such as drive or practice a profession. You may need a certificate to prove your training before you can obtain a license.

Common examples include a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, a death certificate, and a gift certificate. In education, people earn a certificate of completion or a certificate of achievement.

Certificate is usually followed by "of," as in "certificate of achievement," "certificate of birth," or "certificate of authenticity." This phrasing names what the document confirms.