Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of certificate
"The graduate celebrated by displaying her two diplomas and three certificates on the mantle above her fireplace."
In plain English: Certificates are official papers that prove you have finished a course or learned a specific skill.
"The teacher handed out certificates to all the students who completed their reading goals."
Usage: Certificates are official documents that verify an achievement, qualification, or fact, such as a diploma or birth record. Use this word when referring to multiple formal proofs issued by an authority rather than informal notes or tickets.
Derived from Latin certificare, this term combines certus (sure) and facere (to make), originally meaning to make certain or assure. It entered English in the late 14th century with the sense of providing proof or evidence of a fact.