diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3f19f09..de00f89 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -90,6 +90,33 @@ That last row is the whole point: an unsigned real photo is `UNVERIFIED`, never
 
 ---
 
+## Verdict synthesis — `synthesize(signals)`
+
+The five signals above are collapsed into one verdict by `synthesize()`, and
+**the order of its checks IS the honesty policy** — it is not an implementation
+detail. It was in `__all__` (a public API promise) with no documentation, which
+meant the one function encoding the policy was the one you had to read source
+to find.
+
+| Priority | Verdict | Fires when | Why this order |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | `TAMPERED` | any signal points to TAMPERED | A broken integrity signal outranks everything: if the bytes were altered, nothing else read from them can be trusted. |
+| 2 | `CONFLICTING` | AUTHENTIC **and** SYNTHETIC both present | Disagreement is reported as disagreement. Silently picking a winner would manufacture a certainty that the evidence does not support. |
+| 3 | `SYNTHETIC` | any SYNTHETIC signal | An AI-origin assertion is positive evidence. |
+| 4 | `AUTHENTIC-SIGNED` | any AUTHENTIC signal | A provenance signature is present. ⚠️ PoC: the crypto chain is **not** yet verified. |
+| 5 | `UNVERIFIED` | no usable signal | **The honest default.** No signal means *unknown* — it is **NOT** evidence of fakery. |
+
+Row 5 is the point of the package. A provenance tool that returns "fake" when
+it simply cannot tell is worse than no tool, because the absence of a signal is
+overwhelmingly common: most authentic media carries no C2PA manifest either.
+
+```python
+from provmirror import verify, synthesize
+
+signals = verify("photo.jpg")
+print(synthesize(signals))     # e.g. "UNVERIFIED"
+```
+
 ## Usage
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/README_KO.md b/README_KO.md
index 7a7604b..5aac440 100644
--- a/README_KO.md
+++ b/README_KO.md
@@ -74,6 +74,31 @@
 
 ---
 
+## 판정 종합 — `synthesize(signals)`
+
+위 다섯 신호는 `synthesize()`가 하나의 판정으로 합칩니다. 그리고 **그 검사 순서가
+곧 정직 정책**입니다 — 구현 세부가 아닙니다. `__all__`에 올라 공개를 약속해놓고
+문서가 0건이었던 탓에, 정책을 담은 바로 그 함수가 소스를 읽어야만 보이는 상태였습니다.
+
+| 우선순위 | 판정 | 발화 조건 | 왜 이 순서인가 |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | `TAMPERED` | TAMPERED 신호 존재 | 무결성이 깨졌으면 모든 것에 우선한다. 바이트가 변조됐다면 거기서 읽은 다른 값은 믿을 수 없다. |
+| 2 | `CONFLICTING` | AUTHENTIC **과** SYNTHETIC 동시 존재 | 불일치는 불일치로 보고한다. 조용히 한쪽을 고르면 증거가 뒷받침하지 않는 확신을 만들어낸다. |
+| 3 | `SYNTHETIC` | SYNTHETIC 신호 존재 | AI 생성 주장은 적극적 증거다. |
+| 4 | `AUTHENTIC-SIGNED` | AUTHENTIC 신호 존재 | 출처 서명이 있다. ⚠️ PoC: 암호 체인은 **아직 검증하지 않는다**. |
+| 5 | `UNVERIFIED` | 쓸 만한 신호 없음 | **정직한 기본값.** 신호가 없다는 건 *모른다*는 뜻이지 **가짜라는 증거가 아니다**. |
+
+5행이 이 패키지의 존재 이유입니다. 판별할 수 없을 때 "가짜"라고 답하는 출처 도구는
+없느니만 못합니다 — 신호 부재는 압도적으로 흔하기 때문입니다. 진짜 매체 대부분도
+C2PA 매니페스트를 달고 있지 않습니다.
+
+```python
+from provmirror import verify, synthesize
+
+signals = verify("photo.jpg")
+print(synthesize(signals))     # 예: "UNVERIFIED"
+```
+
 ## 사용법
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/tests/test_synthesize_priority.py b/tests/test_synthesize_priority.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8fecb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_synthesize_priority.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+"""The documented verdict priority IS the honesty policy — pin it.
+
+`synthesize` sat in `__all__` with zero documentation, so the one function
+encoding the policy was the one you had to read source to find. Now that the
+README states the order, this test makes the README a claim the code must keep.
+"""
+import dataclasses
+
+import pytest
+
+from provmirror import Signal, synthesize
+from provmirror import AUTHENTIC, SYNTHETIC, TAMPERED
+
+
+def _sig(direction):
+    kw = {}
+    for f in dataclasses.fields(Signal):
+        kw[f.name] = direction if f.name == "direction" else "test"
+    return Signal(**kw)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("directions,expected", [
+    ([TAMPERED, AUTHENTIC, SYNTHETIC], "TAMPERED"),
+    ([TAMPERED], "TAMPERED"),
+    ([AUTHENTIC, SYNTHETIC], "CONFLICTING"),
+    ([SYNTHETIC], "SYNTHETIC"),
+    ([AUTHENTIC], "AUTHENTIC-SIGNED"),
+    ([], "UNVERIFIED"),
+])
+def test_documented_priority_order(directions, expected):
+    assert synthesize([_sig(d) for d in directions]) == expected
+
+
+def test_no_signal_is_unknown_never_fake():
+    """The row the package exists for. Absence of a provenance signal is
+    overwhelmingly common in authentic media too, so answering 'fake' when the
+    tool simply cannot tell would be worse than having no tool."""
+    verdict = synthesize([])
+    assert verdict == "UNVERIFIED"
+    assert "SYNTHETIC" not in verdict and "TAMPERED" not in verdict
+
+
+def test_readme_table_matches_the_code():
+    import re
+    from pathlib import Path
+    for name in ("README.md", "README_KO.md"):
+        txt = (Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / name).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        rows = re.findall(r'^\|\s*[1-5]\s*\|\s*`([A-Z-]+)`\s*\|', txt, re.M)
+        assert rows == ["TAMPERED", "CONFLICTING", "SYNTHETIC",
+                        "AUTHENTIC-SIGNED", "UNVERIFIED"], f"{name}: {rows}"