Certificate

/sərˈtɪfɪkət/

nounBeginner📊CommonDocument
1 meaning1 question

Definitions

1

An official document that shows that something is true, or that someone has a particular skill or qualification.

/sərˈtɪfɪkət/

nounneutralBeginner
Document

A document that confirms something is true.

The teacher presented each student with their participation certificate.

💡 Simply: It's like a special paper that proves you did something or know something. Like, a certificate of achievement shows you won a prize!

👶 For kids: It's a paper that says you did a good job!

More Examples

2

He needs a medical certificate to prove his fitness for work.

How It's Used

Education

"She received a certificate of completion after finishing the course."

Employment

"He proudly displayed his professional certification."

From Middle French certificat, from Latin certificatus, past participle of certificare "to make certain, certify", from certus "certain" + facere "to make".

The word's usage has remained consistent throughout history, primarily referring to an official document of verification.

Memory tip

Think 'certain' + 'ficate' - it makes something certain.

Word Origin

Original meaning

"to make certain"

certificate of completionbirth certificatemarriage certificatemedical certificate

Common misspellings

certifcatecerticatesertificate

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written