certify, v.
(ˈsɜːtɪfaɪ)
Forms: 4–7 certifie, -fye, 4–6 certyfye, 5–6 certefie, -fye, 6 certyfie, 7 certefy, (5 sertefye, 7 sertifie), 6– certify.
[a. F. certifie-r, in 13th c. certefier, ad. med.L. certificāre, f. cert-us certain + -ficāre: see -fy.]
1. trans. To make (a thing) certain; to guarantee as certain, attest in an authoritative manner; to give certain information of. (Often with clause as object.)
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 249 Þis was certified & sikere. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 192 Though we such thing..Upon our trouthe certifie. c 1400 Destr. Troy 12715 He certifiet sothely in his sad lettur, Þat Agamynon had goten to his gay spouse, Of Priam a prise doghter. c 1440 York Myst. xxx. 46 Nowe saye itt save may ye saffely For I will certefie þe same. a 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 32 To certefye this thinge, sende for the damoysell; and than shal ye know, by her owne mouthe. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 282 (R.) [To] certifie that Arion was alive and safe. 1804 Abernethy Surg. Observ. 29 To certify this remark I may mention the case of a man. 1860 J. Kennedy Rob of Bowl xi. 110 We may certify what we have seen to his Lordship. |
2. a. To declare or attest by a formal or legal certificate. (Often with
compl. inf., or
obj. clause.)
| 1461 R. Calle in Paston Lett. 420 II. 58 Jenney and Yelverton hathe certified up in to the Kynges Benche inssurrecions [and] congregacions ayenste me. 1483 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 7 § 2 The said Justices..to certify the same Proclamation to the Kings Justices of the Common Pleas. 1651 N. Bacon Cont. Hist. Disc. xxii. 180 In case of sickness, or other good cause, sertified and allowed by the Captain. 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 214 Unless the judge shall certify under his hand that the freehold or title of the land came chiefly in question. 1788 Franklin Autobiog. Wks. 1840 I. 222 The proper officers, comparing every article with its voucher, certified them to be right. 1801 in Med. Jrnl. (1804) XII. 444 This is to certify, that Drs. Marshall and Walker attended at the hospital at Malta, etc. 1818 Cruise Digest VI. 120 It was certified by the Court of King's Bench to the Court of Chancery, in a modern case. 1885 Law Times 16 May 38/1 The magistrate confidently reversed the previous medical opinion, and certified the man as not insane. |
b. U.S. Banking.
to certify a cheque: see
quot.| 1864 Sala in Daily Tel. 16 July, In lieu of our protective system of ‘crossing’, there is a process known as ‘certifying’ a cheque. The teller puts his initials in one corner, thus warranting the genuineness of the instrument and the fact of the drawer having sufficient funds in the hands of the bank to meet it. 1880 [see certified ppl. a. a]. |
c. To declare (a person) officially insane. (
Cf. quot. 1874 for sense 4.)
| 1877 J. M. Granville Care & Cure of Insane II. 150 A serious mistake has been made in requiring that a patient shall be certified insane before he is removed to an asylum. 1883 T. S. Clouston Clin. Lect. Mental Dis. xix. 612 The question of whether the patient should be certified as a lunatic or not. Ibid. 613 It is proper, having determined that he should be certified, to ask what legal risk there is. 1892 H. H. Newington in D. H. Tuke Dict. Psychol. Med. I. 189/2 Asylum officers or medical men officially in charge of certified patients. 1927 Henderson & Gillespie Text-Bk. Psychiatry xvii. 487 It is not justifiable to certify a patient while in an epileptic fit, or while under the influence of alcohol. 1930 Sayers & Eustace Docum. in Case 72 The man's as mad as a hatter! I nearly sent round to get him certified. 1958 Wodehouse Cocktail Time xiv. 120 He had to be certified. He thought he was Stalin's nephew. |
3. a. To make (a person) certain or sure (
of a matter); to assure, inform certainly; to give (a person) legal or formal attestation (
of).
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 6846 Pilat sent til Tyberius..to certifie hym of þis cas. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xlv. 175 (Harl. MS.) Was certifijd of the dethe of the cockes. 1535 Coverdale Job xii. 8 Speake..to the fyshes of the see, and they shal certifie the. 1581 B. Rich Farew. Militarie Prof. 58 Certifying his mother the truthe which he had learned. 1675 Pennsylv. Archives I. 32 These are to Certifye all whom it may concerne. 1765 H. Walpole Lett. (1861) IV. 334 The next post will probably certify you of his death. 1797 Southey in Life (1849) I. 317 As to what is the cause of the incalculable wretchedness of society..I have long felt certified in my own mind. |
b. with
clause as second object.
| 14.. Mann. & Househ. Exp. 564, I..sertefynge ȝowe I was late..a monge ryte worschepeful folke. 1526 Tindale Rom. viii. 16 The same sprete certifieth oure sprete that we are the Sonnes of God. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, ii. iii. 32, I goe to certifie her Talbot's here. 1651 W. G. tr. Cowel's Inst. 237 The Sheriff is to make his return, and certefy the Justices, whether the party have sufficient Goods and Chattells. 1878 Simpson Sch. Shaks. I. 56 The following letter certified Cecil that..White was not to inherit all. |
c. refl. To make oneself certain, inform oneself certainly; to ascertain.
| 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 470 After hee had fully certified himselfe of the riches abouesayd. 1858 Maxwell Let. in Life x. (1882) 308, I hope to certify myself ere long what sort of ‘friend's wife’ I am to have. |
4. a. intr. To make certification; to testify
to, vouch
for.
| 1625 Bacon Plantations, Ess. (Arb.) 531 They will..be Lazie..and spend Victuals, and be quickly weary, and then Certifie ouer to their Country, to the Discredit of the Plantation. |
| 1829 Southey in For. Rev. & Cont. Misc. III. 49 Those for whom the priests would certify might remain. 1874 A. S. Taylor Med. Jurispr. lxii. (ed. 9) 707 One of the medical men certifying to the insanity of a gentleman. |
b. Law. To give a certificate for costs on a certain scale.
| 1867 Act 30 & 31 Vict. c. 142 §5 He shall not be entitled to any Costs of Suit unless the Judge certify on the Record that there was sufficient Reason for bringing such Action in such Superior Court. 1889 C. A. White Archbold's County Crt. Pract. (ed. 10) 135 A judge has no power to allow costs on a higher scale unless he certify under the above section. 1910 Encycl. Brit. VII. 224/2 In every indictable case in which the committing justices or the court of trial certify for legal aid. |
Hence
ˈcertifying vbl. n., certification.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 43 By..certefienge of cheueteynes of londes, it was i-founde. |