Other forms: authenticated, authenticating, authenticates
To authenticate is to prove that something is genuine. Authenticate the painting, authenticate the user, authenticated by an expert.
In art and antiques it is expert judgement plus provenance and analysis, and getting it wrong is expensive. In computing it means proving who you are, which is a different job from authorising what you may then do. Note authentic, from the Greek for done by one's own hand.
1verbauthenticateTo prove that something is genuine.
“The embassy had to authenticate her documents before she could marry abroad.”
authenticate is a proving genuine.
Medieval Latin
authenticō
English, today
authenticate
Borrowed from Medieval Latin authenticō.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA