Past tense of validate—to confirm that something is true, correct, or acceptable; to make someone feel that their feelings or experiences are important and understood.
From Latin 'validus' (strong) with the suffix '-ate' to make it a verb. 'Validate' developed its modern psychological meaning (confirming feelings) in the 20th century, while the 'confirm as correct' meaning is older.
The psychological meaning of 'validated'—making people feel heard—became huge in therapy and modern communication, but it's interesting that it comes from Latin for 'strong,' suggesting validation makes you emotionally stronger.
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