Verify / Validate
UsageIn systems and assurance work, verification asks whether the solution meets its specifications; validation asks whether it serves the intended use.
Verify
Use when
In a technical or assurance process, you are checking that specified requirements were met or that something was built correctly.
Example
“The test team will verify the release against the approved requirements.”
Validate
Use when
In a technical or assurance process, you are checking that the result meets its intended use and user needs.
Example
“Pilot users will validate that the service supports the real application journey.”
Quick check
verify user needs, validate against specifications, verification and validation
Usage note
Outside formal technical contexts, verify and validate have broader overlapping meanings. Use the definitions set by your profession, standard or assurance framework.