# certificate

Pronunciation: US say "sur-TIF-i-kuht" /sɚˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/; UK say "suh-TIF-i-kuht" /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/

## Noun

1. An official document that contains a statement confirmed as true by an authority.
   - Simple: An official paper that proves a fact is true.
   - _The notary issued a certificate verifying the authenticity of the signature._
   - _Each shipment arrived with a certificate confirming the goods met safety standards._
2. A document showing that a person completed an educational course, given when a full diploma is not granted.
   - Simple: A paper that shows you finished a course but is not a full diploma.
   - _The training program awards a certificate to participants who complete every module._
   - _He framed the certificate from his evening cooking course._
3. A document that serves as proof of ownership of property or of a debt that is owed.
   - Simple: A paper that shows who owns something or who is owed money.
   - _Investors received a certificate confirming their ownership of company shares._
   - _The bond certificate detailed the amount the company owed each lender._
5. Short form of public key certificate. — Ellipsis of public key certificate.
   - Simple: Short form of public key certificate. It is a digital file used to prove identity online.
   - _The server presented its certificate during the handshake to prove its identity._
   - _An expired certificate caused the secure connection to fail._
6. The information needed to verify that the answer to a problem is yes.
   - Simple: Facts that let you quickly prove a yes answer to a problem is correct.
   - _The algorithm accepts a certificate and checks the proposed answer in seconds._
   - _For this problem, a valid certificate is a list of numbers that sum to the target._
7. An official rating assigned to a film, indicating the minimum age of viewers allowed to watch it. *(British, Ireland)*
   - Simple: An official rating that says what age you must be to watch a film.
   - _The board awarded the film a 15 certificate, barring younger viewers._
   - _Cinemas must check the certificate before admitting customers to a restricted film._

## Verb

Pronunciation: US say "sur-TIF-i-kayt" /sɚˈtɪf.ɪˌkeɪt/; UK say "suh-TIF-i-kayt" /səˈtɪf.ɪˌkeɪt/

4. To provide a person or thing with a certificate, usually after an official check or certification.
   - Simple: To give someone an official paper that proves something is true.
   - _The agency certificates pilots only after they complete the required flight hours._
   - _Examiners certificate candidates once all the tests are passed._

## Origin

From French certificat.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/certificate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).