Core Synonyms (Emphasizing confirmation of truth or accuracy):
- Confirm: This is a very common and versatile synonym.
- Verify: Similar to confirm, but often implies a more formal or rigorous process of checking.
- Substantiate: Means to provide evidence to support a claim or statement.
- Corroborate: Means to support with additional evidence or proof.
- Authenticate: Means to prove that something is genuine or what it is claimed to be.
Synonyms with a Focus on Approval or Acceptance:
- Endorse: Means to publicly support or approve of something.
- Ratify: Means to formally approve or confirm something, often a treaty or agreement.
- Sanction: Means to give official permission or approval to something.
Synonyms with a Focus on Making Something Legally Valid:
- Legalize: Means to make something lawful.
- Legitimize: Similar to legalize, but can also imply making something socially acceptable.
Synonyms with a Focus on Practical Effectiveness:
- Demonstrate: Means to show clearly by example or evidence.
- Prove: Means to show beyond doubt that something is true.
- Justify: Means to show or prove that something is right or reasonable.
Which word to choose?
- Use confirm or verify for general situations where you want to check the truth or accuracy of something.
- Use substantiate when providing evidence is key.
- Use corroborate when additional evidence supports something already believed.
- Use authenticate when genuineness is the focus.
- Use endorse or ratify when giving public approval or formal agreement.
- Use legalize or legitimize when making something legally or socially acceptable.
- Use demonstrate, prove, or justify when showing practical effectiveness or rightness is the goal.
Examples:
- "Please validate my parking ticket." (Confirm)
- "The scientist verified the results of the experiment." (Verify)
- "The witness corroborated the victim's story." (Corroborate)
- "The company endorsed the new safety regulations." (Endorse)
- "The evidence demonstrated the effectiveness of the new treatment." (Demonstrate)

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