Meaning & use
confirmation
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Proof, a statement, or a message that shows something is true, has been arranged, or has been officially accepted.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: we are waiting for confirmation; a countable use is rare.
Patterns
- confirmation of something
- confirmation that something is true
- await confirmation from someone
I received confirmation of my hotel booking by email this morning.
The coach said he would not announce the lineup until he had medical confirmation that the player was fit.
Her test results gave scientists the confirmation they needed to publish the study.
nouncountable or uncountablereligion
A Christian ceremony in which a person who was baptized earlier is accepted as a full member of the church.
Grammar: Often used with no article for the rite in general: she was preparing for confirmation.
Patterns
- confirmation class
- make your confirmation
Maria wore a white dress for her confirmation last spring.
The bishop visited the parish to lead the confirmation of twenty teenagers.
Our church runs a confirmation class every Sunday after the service.
Word forms
| plural | confirmations |
|---|
Common combinations
- written confirmation
- Please send written confirmation of the change before Friday.
- seek confirmation
- The reporter called the ministry to seek confirmation of the rumor.
- booking confirmation
- Show your booking confirmation at the check-in desk.
- official confirmation
- There has been no official confirmation of the merger.
- confirmation bias
- Reading only articles you already agree with is a classic case of confirmation bias.
Synonyms and how they differ
- verification
- Verification stresses the checking process itself, while confirmation often means the result or message that says the check came out as expected.
- validation
- Validation suggests that something has been shown to be sound or acceptable, whereas confirmation simply says a fact or arrangement is true.
- corroboration
- Corroboration is more formal and means extra evidence from a second source that supports a claim.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: confirmation or conformation?
confirmation vs conformation
Conformation means the shape or structure of something, especially an animal's body, and has nothing to do with proving a fact.
Practice
The airline sent an email giving ____ of my seat on the morning flight.
Choose one answer.
Confirmation is the message that says a booking is certain. Conformation sounds similar but refers to physical shape.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “confirmation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.