Etymologically
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vérifier

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 18 October 2026 at 14:02. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ve.ʁi.fje/[1]

Forms

vérifier[1] The Académie spelled it verifier in 1694 and 1718, vérifier from 1740.[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin vērificō (“to present as true”), from vērus (“true”) (see vrai) and faciō (“to make”).[2][3][4][5][1][6]

Compare Old Occitan verificar and Italian verificare.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Texts on the Parlement of about 1296 use it in a legal sense, to register or ratify a document, that is, to accept it as true: seront vérifiées les rubriches.[2][3][8] The sense lasted until the late 19th century, Voltaire still writes of verifying an edict.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In 1402 it took the Latin sense “to prove true”, and later, reflexively, “to prove correct” (late 17th century, Bossuet).[2][3] Robert Estienne (1549) has “to confirm the truth of an assertion”, and Montaigne (1580) uses it of a thing that proves what was claimed: Ses exploits le verifient assez capitaine excellent.[2][7]

Richelet (1680) records the modern sense, examining whether something matches the facts, with vérifier si from 1716; checking that something works properly, such as marine clocks, dates from 1797.[2][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1296 – “To register, ratify”.[2][8]
  • 1402 – “To prove true”.[2]
  • 1549 – To confirm an assertion, Robert Estienne.[2]
  • 1580 – Of a thing that proves a claim, Montaigne.[2]
  • 1680 – “To check against the facts”, Richelet.[2]
  • 1797 – To check that something works.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To check, verify: vérifier un calcul, une information, vérifier si….[9][1]
  2. To check that something is in order or working: vérifier les freins.[2][3]
  3. To prove, confirm (of a fact or an experiment): l'expérience a vérifié l'hypothèse.[2][1]
  4. Se vérifier: to prove true.[2]
  5. (historical) To register (an edict).[4][3]

Word family

  • vérification
  • vérificateur
  • vérifiable
  • invérifiable

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 287a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert