confirmation

IPA/ˌkɒnfəˈmeɪʃn/
KK[kˌɑnfɚmˈeʃən]IPA/ˌkɑːnfərˈmeɪʃn/

confirmation — noun

  • confirmationsingular
  • confirmationsplural

1. a written or spoken message that tells you that a meeting, reservation, or arran

1.nounB1
Definition

a written or spoken message that tells you that a meeting, reservation, or arrangement you asked for has been definitely accepted and set.

Example

Cyrus received an email confirmation for his flight to Tokyo.

email confirmation — common in travel contexts

The hotel sent Yuna a written confirmation of her booking for two nights.

confirmation of [booking/reservation]

Common collocations
  • confirmation email
  • confirmation letter
  • confirmation number
  • written confirmation
  • verbal confirmation
Synonyms
  • reservation

    focuses on the booking itself, not the message confirming it

  • acceptance

    more general; not specific to appointments or bookings

Antonyms
  • cancellation

    the opposite of confirming a booking or arrangement

Grammar Patterns

confirmation + of + [noun phrase]

confirmation + that-clause

Usage Note

Commonly used with possessive adjectives ('their confirmation') and in compound nouns ('confirmation email', 'confirmation letter').

Common Mistakes

I need a confirm of the reservation.
I need a confirmation of the reservation.
'confirmation' is the noun form; 'confirm' is a verb.

2. facts, signs, or a statement that prove or give strong reason to believe that a

2.nounB2
Definition

facts, signs, or a statement that prove or give strong reason to believe that a particular thing is true or correct.

Example

The experiment provided clear confirmation of the scientist's theory.

confirmation of [theory/suspicion]

Rachid took the sudden silence as confirmation that his news had shocked everyone.

as confirmation + that-clause

Common collocations
  • clear confirmation
  • confirmation of [theory]
  • receive confirmation
  • official confirmation
  • independent confirmation
Synonyms
  • proof

    stronger and more conclusive; 'confirmation' often adds weight to an existing belief

  • evidence

    broader; evidence can be circumstantial, while confirmation is usually direct

  • verification

    more formal; implies a systematic check

Antonyms
  • refutation

    formal; evidence that proves something false

Grammar Patterns

confirmation + that-clause

confirmation + of + [noun]

Usage Note

Typically uncountable in this sense ('we have confirmation'). Frequently takes a that-clause ('confirmation that the project was on track').

Common Mistakes

This is a confirmation that you are right.' (when talking about proof)
This is confirmation that you are right.
No article needed when used in the uncountable 'proof' sense.

3. a Christian religious ceremony in which a person, often a teenager, publicly dec

3.nounB1
Definition

a Christian religious ceremony in which a person, often a teenager, publicly declares their faith and is fully accepted into the church community.

Example

Lien's confirmation ceremony took place at the local church on a Sunday morning.

The bishop led the confirmation service for thirty young people from the town.

confirmation service

Common collocations
  • confirmation ceremony
  • confirmation service
  • confirmation class
  • receive confirmation

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + confirmation

confirmation + ceremony

Usage Note

In Catholicism and some Protestant denominations, confirmation is one of the sacraments. Subject is typically a person ('her confirmation', 'his confirmation').

4. a ceremony in Reform Judaism in which young people, usually aged sixteen or olde

4.nounB2
Definition

a ceremony in Reform Judaism in which young people, usually aged sixteen or older, publicly affirm their commitment to the Jewish faith and community.

Example

Asher spent several months studying Jewish history for his confirmation ceremony.

The synagogue held a confirmation class for teenagers every Wednesday evening.

confirmation class

Common collocations
  • confirmation ceremony
  • confirmation class
  • confirmation service

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] + confirmation

Usage Note

Primarily associated with Reform Judaism; not practiced in Orthodox or most Conservative Jewish communities. The confirmation ceremony is different from a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah.

5. the official act of formally approving a decision, appointment, or agreement so

5.nounC1
Definition

the official act of formally approving a decision, appointment, or agreement so that it becomes legally valid.

Example

The treaty will go into effect only after confirmation by the legislature.

confirmation by [governing body]

The appointment of the new director requires confirmation from the full board.

Common collocations
  • confirmation by [body]
  • require confirmation
  • await confirmation
  • confirmation hearing
  • confirmation vote
Synonyms
  • ratification

    nearly identical, but 'ratification' strongly emphasizes the formal voting or signing step

  • approval

    broader and less formal; used for everyday as well as official contexts

  • authorization

    focuses on permission to proceed; used more for actions than agreements

Antonyms
  • rejection

    formal refusal to approve

  • veto

    specific to executive or institutional blocking of a decision

Grammar Patterns

confirmation + by + [body]

confirmation + of + [decision/treaty]

Usage Note

Formal register. Subject is typically an institution (senate, board, committee) or a legal document. Frequently passive in structure ('confirmation was given by...').

Common Mistakes

The manager gave his confirmation to the plan' (casual approval).
The Senate gave its confirmation to the treaty' (formal ratification).
This sense is limited to official bodies, not everyday approval.

6. the process or activity of checking that information, a detail, or a system is a

6.nounC1
Definition

the process or activity of checking that information, a detail, or a system is accurate, true, or in proper working order.

Example

The technician ran a final test for confirmation of the system's safety.

for confirmation of — purpose phrase

Dahlia's main job involved the confirmation of all customer details before processing orders.

Common collocations
  • await confirmation
  • confirmation process
  • for confirmation
  • confirmation of [details]
Synonyms
  • verification

    nearly interchangeable; 'verification' is even more process-oriented

  • validation

    implies checking against a standard or requirement

Grammar Patterns

confirmation + of + [noun]

for confirmation

Usage Note

Focuses on the checking activity itself rather than the result. Common in procedural and technical contexts ('awaiting confirmation', 'confirmation process'). Distinguish from sense 2 (PROOF), which is about the evidence produced.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words show that something is true, but they differ in strength and context. 'Proof' is the strongest and most conclusive — it leaves no reasonable doubt ('scientific proof of a chemical reaction'). 'Evidence' is broader and can be circumstantial; it points toward a conclusion but does not guarantee it ('evidence that someone was at the scene'). 'Confirmation' sits between these: it adds weight to something you already suspect or believe. 'Verification' is more procedural, suggesting a systematic check against known facts or standards ('verification of a passport number'). 'Corroboration' is the most formal, used mainly in legal or academic contexts to mean supporting evidence from an independent source ('corroboration of a witness's testimony'). In everyday use, say 'I need confirmation of the details'; in court, say 'corroboration of the statement'.

proof ↗evidence ↗verification ↗corroboration ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in confirmation of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'confirmation' comes from Latin 'confirmatio', from the verb 'confirmare' — meaning 'to make firm, strengthen, establish'. 'Con-' means 'together', and 'firmare' means 'to make firm' (from 'firmus', meaning 'strong, stable'). The word entered English through Old French in the 1300s. Originally it carried the sense of 'strengthening or making more certain', which still connects all its modern uses — whether confirming a booking, confirming a theory, or confirming one's faith.