1. The act of proving that an instrument purporting to be a will was signed and executed in accord with legal requirements
   "The probate of the will took several months to complete"
    
2. (law) a judicial certificate saying that a will is genuine and conferring on the executors the power to administer the estate
   "The lawyer filed for probate will to begin the process of executing the deceased's last wishes";
   - probate will

1. (law) establish the legal validity of (wills and other documents)
   "The court probated the deceased's will"
    
2. Put a convicted person on probation by suspending their sentence
   "The judge probated the first-time offender"

Derived forms: probates, probating, probated

Type of: bona fides, certificate, certification, credential, credentials, defer, formalise [Brit], formalize, hold over, postpone, proof, prorogue, put back, put off, put over, remit, set back, shelve, substantiation, table [N. Amer], validate, validation

Encyclopedia: Probate, Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Court