Submit vs. Confirm — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 29, 2024
Submit is the act of presenting for consideration or judgment, often implying compliance, while confirm means to validate or establish the truth, often reinforcing or finalizing a decision.
Difference Between Submit and Confirm
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Submit refers to the process of presenting something, like a document or request, to an authority or system for review or consideration. This action often carries an implication of compliance with rules or guidelines, as well as a deference to the authority of the recipient. On the other hand, confirm is used to establish the truth or validity of something, often after a preliminary agreement or decision has been made. Confirmation typically serves to reinforce or finalize that decision, providing assurance or evidence of its correctness or legitimacy.
When you submit an application, for example, you are providing information required by a governing body or organization, following their specified process. This suggests an element of formality and often precedes evaluation or approval. Whereas, when you confirm a reservation, you are asserting the accuracy of the details and your intent to proceed as planned, often as a final step in securing a service or agreement.
Submission can also imply a form of surrender or yielding to a higher power or authority, indicating a hierarchy in the relationship between the submitter and the recipient. Confirmation, in contrast, implies a level of mutual agreement and certainty, often following verification processes that both parties recognize and accept.
In the context of online forms or transactions, to submit is to send your information to be processed or reviewed, without necessarily implying immediate acceptance. Confirming, however, usually involves an additional step where the user verifies the accuracy of the information or agrees to the terms, moving closer to finalization.
Submission may not always lead to immediate action or response, as it often requires evaluation or approval. Confirmation, however, typically signifies that all necessary steps have been completed and that the action or decision is now recognized as valid and effective.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To present for consideration, judgment, or use.
To validate or verify the truth, accuracy, or validity.
Implication
Implies compliance and often precedes evaluation.
Implies assurance and often finalizes a decision.
Relationship to Authority
Indicates a hierarchical relationship.
Indicates mutual agreement or verification.
Context
Often used in formal submissions or requests.
Commonly used in agreements or confirmations of plans.
Outcome
Does not imply immediate acceptance or action.
Signifies completion and validity of a decision or action.
Compare with Definitions
Submit
To hand in for review.
She will submit her thesis by the end of the month.
Confirm
To make a decision final.
We confirmed our travel plans today.
Submit
To yield to a higher authority.
The company submitted to the demands of the strikers.
Confirm
To affirm one's commitment.
He confirmed his attendance at the seminar.
Submit
To propose for consideration.
He submitted a new plan to the committee.
Confirm
To establish the truth.
The study confirms the benefits of exercise.
Submit
To agree to abide by.
Contestants must submit to the rules of the game.
Confirm
To corroborate a fact.
Witnesses confirmed the suspect's presence at the scene.
Submit
Submit is an EP by the British band Pitchshifter, released on 23 March 1992 by Earache on LP, MC and CD.French black metal band Blut aus Nord covered "Bastardiser" for their EP Debemur Morti.
Confirm
To validate an arrangement.
Your appointment has been confirmed via email.
Submit
To yield or surrender (oneself) to the will or authority of another.
Confirm
To support or establish the certainty or validity of; verify
Confirm a rumor.
Submit
To subject to a condition or process
Submit a tissue sample to testing.
Confirm
To reaffirm the establishment of (a reservation or advance arrangement).
Submit
To present (something) to the consideration or judgment of another
We submitted our ideas to our supervisor.
Confirm
To make firmer; strengthen
Working on the campaign confirmed her intention to go into politics.
Submit
To offer as a proposition or contention
I submit that the terms are entirely unreasonable.
Confirm
To make valid or binding by a formal or legal act; ratify.
Submit
To accept or give in to the authority, power, or will of another.
Confirm
To administer the religious rite of confirmation to.
Submit
To allow oneself to be subjected to something
Submit to an interview.
Submit to drug testing.
Confirm
To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
Submit
(intransitive) To yield or give way to another.
They will not submit to the destruction of their rights.
Confirm
To administer the sacrament of confirmation on (someone).
Submit
(transitive) To yield (something) to another, as when defeated.
Confirm
To assure the accuracy of previous statements.
Submit
(ambitransitive) To enter or put forward for approval, consideration, marking etc.
I submit these plans for your approval.
Confirm
To make firm or firmer; to add strength to; to establish; as, health is confirmed by exercise.
Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs.
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law.
Submit
(transitive) To subject; to put through a process.
Confirm
To strengthen in judgment or purpose.
Confirmed, then, I resolveAdam shall share with me in bliss or woe.
Submit
To win a fight against (an opponent) by submission.
Confirm
To give new assurance of the truth of; to render certain; to verify; to corroborate; as, to confirm a rumor.
Your eyes shall witness and confirm my tale.
These likelihoods confirm her flight.
Submit
To let down; to lower.
Confirm
To render valid by formal assent; to complete by a necessary sanction; to ratify; as, to confirm the appoinment of an official; the Senate confirms a treaty.
That treaty so prejudicial ought to have been remitted rather than confimed.
Submit
To put or place under.
Confirm
To administer the rite of confirmation to. See Confirmation, 3.
Those which are thus confirmed are thereby supposed to be fit for admission to the sacrament.
Submit
To let down; to lower.
Sometimes the hill submits itself a while.
Confirm
Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts;
His story confirmed my doubts
The evidence supports the defendant
Submit
To put or place under.
The bristled throatOf the submitted sacrifice with ruthless steel he cut.
Confirm
Strengthen or make more firm;
The witnesses confirmed the victim's account
Submit
To yield, resign, or surrender to power, will, or authority; - often with the reflexive pronoun.
Ye ben submitted through your free assent.
The angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands.
Confirm
Make more firm;
Confirm thy soul in self-control!
Submit
To leave or commit to the discretion or judgment of another or others; to refer; as, to submit a controversy to arbitrators; to submit a question to the court; - often followed by a dependent proposition as the object.
Whether the condition of the clergy be able to bear a heavy burden, is submitted to the house.
We submit that a wooden spoon of our day would not be justified in calling Galileo and Napier blockheads because they never heard of the differential calculus.
Confirm
As of a person to a position;
The Senate confirmed the President's candidate for Secretary of Defense
Submit
To yield one's person to the power of another; to give up resistance; to surrender.
The revolted provinces presently submitted.
Confirm
Administer the rite of confirmation to;
The children were confirmed in their mother's faith
Submit
To yield one's opinion to the opinion of authority of another; to be subject; to acquiesce.
To thy husband's willThine shall submit.
Submit
To be submissive or resigned; to yield without murmuring.
Our religion requires from us . . . to submit to pain, disgrace, and even death.
Submit
Refer for judgment or consideration;
She submitted a proposal to the agency
Submit
Put before;
I submit to you that the accused is guilty
Submit
Yield to the control of another
Submit
Hand over formally
Submit
Refer to another person for decision or judgment;
She likes to relegate difficult questions to her colleagues
Submit
Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion;
The government bowed to the military pressure
Submit
Accept or undergo, often unwillingly;
We took a pay cut
Submit
Make an application as for a job or funding;
We put in a grant to the NSF
Submit
Make over as a return;
They had to render the estate
Submit
Accept as inevitable;
He resigned himself to his fate
Common Curiosities
Can I confirm a submission?
Yes, you can confirm a submission by verifying its receipt or validity, often as a subsequent step.
How do I confirm a reservation?
You confirm a reservation by verifying the details and expressing your intent to proceed as planned, often finalizing the booking.
Is confirmation always required after submission?
Not always, but confirmation can be a key step in ensuring the information submitted is correct and the process can proceed.
Can a submission be rejected?
Yes, a submission can be rejected if it does not meet the required criteria or standards of the reviewing authority.
Is it necessary to confirm every submission?
Not every submission requires confirmation, but confirming important submissions can ensure accuracy and completeness.
Can submit and confirm be used interchangeably?
No, submit implies presenting something for review, while confirm means to establish truth or finalize a decision.
Why is submission important?
Submission is important as it initiates a process of review or consideration by providing the necessary information or documents.
How does confirmation provide assurance?
Confirmation provides assurance by verifying the accuracy or validity of an agreement, decision, or information.
What does it mean to submit an application?
It means to provide your application to the relevant authority for processing or evaluation.
Is submitting a form the same as confirming it?
Submitting a form means sending it for review, whereas confirming it often refers to verifying or finalizing the information provided.
Can I submit something verbally?
Yes, in some contexts, you can submit information or requests verbally, though written submissions are more common for formal processes.
How long does it take to confirm a submission?
The time to confirm a submission varies depending on the process, context, and the efficiency of the reviewing system.
What happens after a submission is confirmed?
After a submission is confirmed, the process or agreement proceeds based on the established or verified information.
What is a confirmation number?
A confirmation number is a unique identifier provided to confirm a transaction, reservation, or agreement, serving as proof of the finalized arrangement.
Does submitting mean agreeing?
Submitting can imply agreement to follow certain rules or guidelines, but it primarily means to present something for consideration.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
