Legal Definitions - certificate

Definition: A certificate is a document that attests to a fact or certifies the bearer's status or authorization to act in a specified way. It can also be a notice by one court to another court of the action it has taken.

1. A death certificate is a document that officially records the date, location, and cause of a person's death.
2. A nursing certificate is a document that certifies that a person has completed the necessary education and training to become a licensed nurse.
3. When a court issues its opinion, it may send a certificate to another court to notify them of the action it has taken.

These examples illustrate how a certificate can be used to attest to a fact, certify a person's status or authorization, or notify another party of an action taken.