Also 6 verificatioun, -acioun, veryfycacyon. [a. OF. verificacion (mod.F. vérification, = It. verificazione, Sp. verificacion, Pg. verificação), f. verifier, or ad. med.L. *vērificātiōn-, vērificātio, f. vērificāre: see VERIFY v. and -ATION.]
1. The action of demonstrating or proving to be true or legitimate by means of evidence or testimony; formal assertion of truth. Now rare.
1523. Reg. Aberdon. (Maitl. Cl.), I. 388. For þe verificatioun and prewyng of his indorsyng and execution of my lordis precept.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. xix. (S.T.S.), I. 110. In verificacioun hereof [i.e., an intended act of treason] þe said turnus did maist cruelie inway aganis him.
1599. Skene, De Verb. Sign. (ed. 2), Q 3 b. The Schireffe … suld summond certaine persons … & suld be present in proper persone … with the verification of the saidis summoundes.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., 19. I say nothing (my Lord) I am not ready to sweare in verification of my belief.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Ductor, II. i. rule 7 § 2. If she be a woman, if she can be a wife, and can be his, there is no more requir’d to a verification of the contract in the law of nature.
1911. A. G. Hogg, Christ’s Message Kingd., III. xi. 140. To use an oath even for the purpose of verification, is to make a convenience of God.
2. Demonstration of truth or correctness by facts or circumstances.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., B j b. Thus than appereth the veryfycacyon of the fyrste condycyon that a Cyrurgyen ought to haue, for he ought to be lettred and learned.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvi. 142. The Sentence of the Judge … is a sufficient Verification of the Law of Nature in that individuall case.
175[?]. Warburton, Disc. Rise Antichrist, Wks. 1788, V. 443. It hath … only the traditional verification of the Evidence of a past Fact.
1782. J. Brown, View Nat. & Rev. Relig., II. i. 139. All the dispositions and actions of mankind are a plain verification of the leading truths of his word.
1802. Playfair, Illustr. Hutton. Th., 507. A very unexpected verification of some of the conclusions deduced above.
1830. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., 12. They afford the readiest and completest verifications of his theories.
1882. U.S. Rep. Prec. Met., 613. Let us await the verification of time.
3. The action of establishing or testing the truth or correctness of a fact, theory, statement, etc., by means of special investigation or comparison of data.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, III. v. 521. You waste away and die in pursuite of so concealed a misterie of so obscure a verification.
1635. Jackson, Creed, VIII. x. § 3. Fitter occasion … could not be offered for the exquisite verification or exact fulfilling of this prophecy.
1677. Plot, Oxfordsh., 222. The latter wrote a verification of all the fix’d stars, as to their longitude and latitude, for the year 1440.
1837. Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sci., I. III. iv. § 1. 190. Periods of verification, as well as epochs of induction, deserve to be attended to.
1855. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, v. § 294. This estimate … is not capable of verification by any more than the rudest approximations.
1885. Manch. Exam., 12 May, 5/3. Nearly a month will be swallowed up in the verification of the returns.
b. The action of verifying or testing the accuracy of an instrument, or the quality of goods. Also attrib.
1832. Babbage, Econ. Manuf., xiv. 103. In the Irish flax trade, a similar example of the high price paid for verification occurs.
1888. Pall Mall G., 6 Dec., 5/2. The total number of instruments rejected as unfit for a verification certificate owing to excess of error or to other causes was only 346.
4. [After French usage.] Ratification.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. V. iv. 141. When the verification of it was laid before the parliament, the procureur général … solemnly protested against it.
1865. M. Arnold, Ess. Crit., ii. (1875), 50. By the old constitution of France, these letters patent required the verification of the Parliament.
1902. W. L. Mathieson, Pol. & Rel. Scotl., I. i. 49. The Parliament of Paris in their act of verification adopted a very superior tone.
