Authenticate
/ɔːˈθɛntɪkeɪt/noun
To prove that something is genuine or to establish its validity.
Did you know?Authenticate ultimately comes from Greek words connected to *authentes*, meaning one who acts on his own authority, so the root idea is not just truth — it’s sanctioned power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
authentēs
“one acting on one's own authority; a doer, master, perpetrator”
Late Greek
Greek
authentikós
“original, genuine; belonging to an authority or master”
Late Latin
Latin
authenticus
“genuine, authoritative”
Middle French
French
authentique
“genuine, authoritative”
16th Century
English
authenticate
“to make authoritative or establish as genuine”
Modern English
English
authenticate
“to prove or confirm the genuineness of something”