n.

1. A document testifying to the truth of something: a certificate of birth.
2. A document issued to a person completing a course of study not leading to a diploma.
3. A document certifying that a person may officially practice in certain professions.
4. A document certifying ownership.

tr.v., -cat·ed, -cat·ing, -cates. (-kāt')

To furnish with, testify to, or authorize by a certificate.

[Middle English certificat, from Old French, from Medieval Latin certificātum, something certified, from neuter of Late Latin certificātus, past participle of certificāre, to certify. See certify.]

certificatory cer·tif'i·ca·to'ry (-kə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē) adj.

Formal declaration that can be used to document a fact, such as a birth certificate.

The following are certificates with particular relevance to finance and investments.

1. auditor's certificate, sometimes called certificate of accounts, or Accountant's Opinion.

2. bond certificate, certificate of indebtedness issued by a corporation containing the terms of the issuer's promise to repay principal and pay interest, and describing collateral, if any. Traditionally, bond certificates had coupons attached, which were exchanged for payment of interest. Now that most bonds are issued in registered form, coupons are less common. The amount of a certificate is the par value of the bond.

3. Certificate of Deposit.

4. certificate of Incorporation.

5. certificate of indebtedness, government debt obligation having a maturity shorter than a bond and longer than a treasury bill (such as a Treasury Note).

6. Partnership certificate, showing the interest of all participants in a business partnership.

7. Proprietorship certificate, showing who is legally responsible in an individually owned business.

8. Stock Certificate evidence of ownership of a corporation showing number of shares, name of issuer, amount of par or stated value represented or a declaration of no-par value, and rights of the shareholder. Preferred stock certificates also list the issuer's responsibilities with respect to dividends and voting rights, if any.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A written document that is official verification that a condition or requirement has, or has not, been met.

A written assurance issued from a court that is notification to another officer, judge, or court of procedures practiced therein.

A document (such as a birth certificate) prepared by an official during the course of his or her regular duties, and which may be used as evidence for certain purposes.

A document certifying that one has fulfilled certain requirements and may practice in a field.

A stock certificate is a paper representing a share of stock in a corporation that has been purchased by its holder.

A certificate of acknowledgment is the written statement by a notary public, justice of the peace, or other authorized officer that sets forth that a person or persons appeared before him or her on a particular date and declared an instrument to be their voluntary act and deed.

A certificate of deposit is prepared by a bank as a receipt for money deposited by a customer that the bank promises to repay to the depositor after certain conditions have been fulfilled.

Written certification of an examination, treatment, necropsy carried out by a veterinarian. Because the certificates are often the instruments on which compensation is made and lawsuits decided they are very important to the reputation of the veterinarian who prepares them and to the profession and its status in the community. The two areas of common error are the incomplete certificate that omits critical matters, especially the accurate identification of the patient, and the omission of the required entries which are left for the owner to complete, providing an opportunity and temptation to defraud.

IN BRIEF: A written or printed statement that can be used as proof of something because it is official.

My mother had to send me to the movies with my birth certificate, so that I wouldn't have to pay the extra fifty cents that the adults had to pay. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - attest, bevis, kvittering
v. tr. - attestere

Nederlands (Dutch)
certificaat, getuigschrift, diploma

Français (French)
n. - certificat, diplôme, (École) brevet, brevet (de secouriste, etc), certificat (de contrôle, de sécurité), (Admin) acte (de naissance, etc), (Comm) certificat (d'authenticité), (Cin) fil interdit
v. tr. - (Jur, Méd) certifier, constater (un décès), authentifier, délivrer un certificat d'aptitude professionnelle, (Comm) garantir (des marchandises)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Attest, Bescheinigung, Urkunde, Zeugnis
v. - zulassen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πιστοποιητικό, βεβαίωση, αποδεικτικό, απολυτήριο ή πτυχίο (σχολής κ.λπ.)
v. - χορηγώ βεβαίωση, αποδεικτικό, πιστοποιητικό ή πτυχίο σε

Italiano (Italian)
certificato, diploma, licenza

Português (Portuguese)
n. - certificado (m)
v. - certificar

Русский (Russian)
сертификат, свидетельство

Español (Spanish)
n. - certificado, acta, certificación, diploma, partida
v. tr. - certificar, dar diploma o certificado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - skriftligt intyg, betyg
v. - förse med intyg

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
证书, 证明书, 发给证明书, 鉴定, 认可

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 證書, 證明書
v. tr. - 發給證明書, 鑒定, 認可

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 증명서, 증권
v. tr. - 증명서를 주다, 인증하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 証明書, 証券
v. - 証明書を与える, 免許する

idioms:

• Master's certificate    修士証明書
• savings certificate    愛国国債

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) شهادة (فعل) يصدق على, يصدر شهادة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮תעודה, אישור, נייר‬
v. tr. - ‮אישר בתעודה, נתן רישיון‬

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Certificate Award	certificate border
Stock Certificate	certificate of deposit