self-authenticating

adjective

In the law of evidence, being a piece of evidence that will automatically be presumed authentic for purposes of admissibility based on the character of the evidence itself. Examples include certified copies of public or business records, official publications of government agencies, and newspaper articles.

OriginEnglish authenticating ← Medieval Latin authenticō ← Middle English self- →
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Meanings

adjectiveself-authenticating (not comparable)
  1. not comparablelawIn the law of evidence, being a piece of evidence that will automatically be presumed authentic for purposes of admissibility based on the character of the evidence itself. Examples include certified copies of public or business records, official publications of government agencies, and newspaper articles.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanic*selbaz
  4. Old Englishself
  5. Old Englishself-
  6. Middle Englishself-
  7. Englishself-
  8. Medieval Latinauthenticō
  9. Englishauthenticating
  10. Englishself-authenticating

From self- + authenticating.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

self-authenticating. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-authenticating

MLA

“self-authenticating.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-authenticating. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-authenticating,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-authenticating.

Source: self-authenticating on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.