verify
VER-uh-fy
/ˈvɛrɪˌfaɪ/
To make sure or demonstrate that something is true, accurate, or justified.
To verify means to confirm the truth or accuracy of something through evidence or investigation. It's a critical step in ensuring reliability, especially in financial reporting.
The story behind the word. The word 'verify' is a wonderful blend of Latin roots: 'verus,' meaning 'true,' and 'facere,' meaning 'to make' or 'to do.' So, to 'verify' literally means 'to make true' or 'to prove true.' It's all about establishing the truth and making sure things are genuinely what they claim to be.
Word relationships
- confirm: To establish the truth or correctness of something already believed or stated.
- substantiate: To provide evidence to support or prove the truth of something.
- corroborate: To confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).
- disprove: To prove that something is false.
- contradict: To deny the truth of a statement, especially by asserting the opposite.
Commonly confused with
- check: 'Check' can be a quick, informal look; 'verify' implies a more thorough, systematic process to confirm truth or accuracy, often involving evidence.
Word family
- verification (noun): The process of verifying something.
- verifiable (adjective): Able to be verified.
Collocations
- verify accuracy
- verify identity
- verify information
- verify claims
- verify data
Example sentences
- "Before submitting the report, the accountant spent hours to verify that all the figures were accurate and supported by source documents." Verifying financial data.
- "The bank requires customers to verify their identity with multiple forms of identification before opening a new account." Verifying identity.
- "Scientists conducted numerous experiments to verify the hypothesis that the new drug was effective against the disease." Verifying a hypothesis.
Memory hook
To VERIFY is to make sure it's the VERy truth. Make true
When not to use
Don't use 'verify' for simply asking if something is true; it implies a more active process of checking or proving.
Fun facts
- The concept of verification is crucial in scientific research, legal proceedings, and cybersecurity, not just finance.
- In computing, 'data verification' ensures that data has been accurately transferred or processed.
Related words
Explore more words
validate, substantiate, corroborate, veracity, assess, affirm
Also appears in
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