authenticate

/ɔːˈθentɪkeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɔːˈθentɪkeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈthen-ti-ˌkāt ȯ-/ (ame, mw)

authenticate — verb

1. in computer systems, to check that a user really is the person they say they are

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

in computer systems, to check that a user really is the person they say they are before letting them log in, make a payment, or access protected data — usually through a password, fingerprint, or code sent to a phone.

例句

The banking app asks Anaya to authenticate with her fingerprint before any transfer.

pattern: authenticate with + method

Users must authenticate themselves before viewing their medical records online.

reflexive: authenticate oneself

同義詞
  • verify

    near-synonym in tech contexts; often used for one-step checks (verify your email)

  • log in

    phrasal verb; describes the user's action rather than the system's check

文法句型

authenticate + person/account

authenticate with + method

用法筆記

Frequently passive ('be authenticated') or reflexive ('authenticate yourself'). The object is a person, a user, or an account — not a thing. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about confirming who someone is, not whether an object is genuine.

常見錯誤

❌Please authenticate the password.
✅Please enter your password to authenticate.
💡you authenticate the user, not the password; the password is the means.

2. to show through evidence or expert checking that an object such as a painting, s

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to show through evidence or expert checking that an object such as a painting, signature, or document is the genuine article and not a copy or fake.

例句

Dr. Lior was hired to authenticate the old vase found in the attic.

transitive: authenticate + physical object

Two experts in Paris authenticated the painting as a real Monet.

pattern: authenticate X as Y

同義詞
  • verify

    broader; works for facts and claims, not just objects

  • validate

    often used for documents, theories, or arguments rather than artworks

  • certify

    implies issuing an official statement or certificate of genuineness

反義詞
  • fake

    to make something look genuine when it is not

  • forge

    specifically to fake signatures or documents

文法句型

authenticate + noun

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person with expert knowledge (a specialist, scholar, or laboratory) or a method of testing (carbon dating, DNA analysis). Distinguish from sense 1, which is about confirming a person's identity rather than an object's origin.

常見錯誤

❌I authenticated that the story was true.
✅I confirmed that the story was true.
💡for verifying facts or claims, use 'confirm' or 'verify'; 'authenticate' applies to objects, artworks, and documents.