Ratificar vs. Retificar: Confirm or Correct?
Ratificar confirms a decision; retificar corrects an error or amends a detail.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Ratificar means to confirm, endorse, or formally approve something that has already been decided or proposed. It appears in legal, administrative, and formal contexts, though the meaning is useful in news and everyday reading too.
Use ratificar to confirm or approve
Think of ratificar as reaffirming that a decision or agreement remains valid. In everyday conversation, confirmar is usually simpler and more common.
O conselho ratificou a decisão na reunião.
The board confirmed the decision at the meeting.
Os países ratificaram o acordo.
The countries ratified the agreement.
Preciso confirmar o horário antes de sair.
I need to confirm the time before leaving.
Use retificar to correct information
Retificar means to correct, amend, or make an adjustment to information. It is used when a figure, name, date, statement, or document needs correction. In everyday conversation, corrigir is a direct alternative.
The spelling difference changes the action: ratificar preserves or confirms a prior decision, while retificar changes an incorrect detail. Check whether the information is being approved or corrected.
A empresa retificou o valor no relatório.
The company corrected the amount in the report.
Vou retificar a data do formulário.
I’m going to correct the date on the form.
O jornal publicou uma nota para retificar a informação.
The newspaper published a note to correct the information.
Put it into practice
Ratificar is to confirm or formally approve; retificar is to correct or amend. Use confirmar and corrigir in everyday speech when they fit.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The company corrected the amount in the report”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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