transitive verb.
To approve and give formal sanction to; confirm.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
To confirm; establish; settle conclusively or authoritatively; make certain or lasting.
To validate by some formal act of approval; accept and sanction, as something done by an agent or a representative; confirm as a valid act or procedure.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
transitive verb.
To approve and sanction; to make valid; to confirm; to establish; to settle; especially, to give sanction to, as something done by an agent or servant
verb.
To give formal consent to; make officially valid.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
verb.
approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation
Word Usage
"Fourth, the original understanding of the Constitution by the public and the men who voted to ratify is clear that Constitution was to be secular, promote tolerance, and granted no powers in matters of religion."