apostille
AH-puh-steel
/ˌæpəˈstiːl/
A certificate issued by a government authority validating the authenticity of a signature on a public document for international use.
Specifically used in the context of the Hague Convention of 1961; it is a specialized form of international notarization.
The story behind the word. Apostille comes from the French word meaning 'marginal note.' This traces back to the Latin post illa, meaning 'after those (words).' Historically, it was a brief note written in the margin of a document to explain or validate its contents.
Word relationships
- legalization: Legalization is the general process of validating international documents, while an apostille is a specific, simplified method under the Hague Convention.
- authentication: Authentication can refer to any verification process, whereas an apostille is a standardized international certificate.
Commonly confused with
- notarization: Notarization is done by a local notary for domestic use, while an apostille is a state-level certification for international use.
Collocations
- obtain an apostille
- apostille convention
- affix an apostille
- certified with an apostille
Example sentences
- "To buy property abroad, I had to obtain an apostille for my power of attorney document." International legal processes
- "The ministry of foreign affairs will apostille your diploma so it is recognized by the foreign university." Consular affairs
Memory hook
An apostille is like a post-it note from the government that travels across borders. Apostille = international post-it of truth.
When not to use
Do not use for domestic documents that only require a standard notary public's stamp.
Fun facts
- The Hague Apostille Convention has over 120 member countries, making it one of the most widely adopted treaties for simplifying international legal paperwork.
Related words
Explore more words
affidavit, diploma, Signatory, certification, signet, convention
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.