confirm
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, or genuineness of; corroborate; verify.
This report confirms my suspicions.
- Synonyms:
- validate, authenticate, substantiate, prove
- Antonyms:
- disprove
-
to acknowledge with definite assurance.
Did the hotel confirm our room reservation?
-
to make valid or binding by some formal or legal act; sanction; ratify.
to confirm a treaty;
to confirm her appointment to the Supreme Court.
- Antonyms:
- invalidate
-
to make firm or more firm; add strength to; settle or establish firmly.
Their support confirmed my determination to run for mayor.
- Synonyms:
- fix
- Antonyms:
- shake
-
to strengthen (a person) in habit, resolution, opinion, etc..
The accident confirmed him in his fear of driving.
-
to administer the religious rite of confirmation to.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to prove to be true or valid; corroborate; verify
-
(may take a clause as object) to assert for a second or further time, so as to make more definite
he confirmed that he would appear in court
-
to strengthen or make more firm
his story confirmed my doubts
-
to make valid by a formal act or agreement; ratify
-
to administer the rite of confirmation to
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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confirmabilitynoun
-
confirmernoun
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unconfirmabilitynoun
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preconfirmverb (used with object)
-
reconfirmverb (used with object)
-
unconfirmverb (used with object)
-
confirmableadjective
-
confirmatoryadjective
-
nonconfirmingadjective
-
confirminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
confirmsimple
-
confirmssimple
-
have confirmedperfect
-
has confirmedperfect
-
am confirmingprogressive
-
are confirmingprogressive
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is confirmingprogressive
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have been confirmingperfect progressive
-
has been confirmingperfect progressive
Past
-
confirmedsimple
-
had confirmedperfect
-
was confirmingprogressive
-
were confirmingprogressive
-
had been confirmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of confirm
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin confirmāre “to strengthen, confirm” ( see con-, firm 1); replacing Middle English confermen, from Old French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
When you need to make sure before you leave that you have a reservation, you often call ahead to confirm, that is, to make sure that your tickets or space are set aside for you. The firm in confirm should give you a clue as to the word's meaning: to shore up or verify something. When you make sure something is set, or firm, you confirm it. The word comes from the Latin con- "together, altogether," and firmāre "make firm," so confirm originally meant roughly "to make (something) altogether firm."
Vocabulary lists containing confirm
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He stayed about 30 minutes and witnessed the tattoo artist at work but couldn’t confirm whether anyone got a tattoo of LemonLime’s citrus-slice logo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The league hasn’t announced its plans for shifting games outside of Illinois other than to confirm they aspire to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Clinical trials will be necessary to confirm its effects in people, identify which patients might benefit, and determine safe and effective intake levels.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
Virgin Atlantic said it was "heartbroken" to confirm the death of a "much-loved" member of its engineering team and said it was working with relevant authorities to establish what happened.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Maria had hoped to remain in Surinam long enough to confirm all her discoveries, to repeat them and check her data as she had always done in Europe.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
Before Dodgers beat the Mariners, Andrew Friedman all but confirms the team would be in contact with the Tigers about Tarik Skubal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
However, any suggestion remains speculative until Spurs reveal their hand or one of the clubs involved confirms an approach from chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
If future prospective research confirms the findings, diabetes prevention may need to become more personalized.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
In his view, that confirms that the long-term growth trajectory for chip makers is intact.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
“It confirms the theory on which I have been working, it tells me that I am right, and also how very far there is still to go...”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
In a statement, she confirmed the telephone call and the agenda items.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Pastore was found dead in his Bronx residence Saturday by a friend who did a wellness check after he had not been heard from for three days, his manager Steve Atterman confirmed to The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
He appeared distraught as the result was confirmed but said "whatever the referee says goes".
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Authorities stressed they have not confirmed that claim and continue to investigate the case as an active kidnapping.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Sure enough, the paramedics confirmed they’d received a call from someone at Pike Place, who’d witnessed “a pregnant Indian woman in need of immediate assistance.”
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
But despite football's world governing body confirming the proposal was being withdrawn on Saturday, the infamy will linger much longer.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Sazerac’s letter said the bid had the backing of Wells Fargo and Apollo Global Management, confirming an earlier Journal report, and additional interest from banks to support the deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
However, confirming whether those planets have atmospheres has been one of the most difficult challenges in exoplanet research.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
County officials said they weren’t able to identify the raptor and that even confirming the sex of a bald eagle is no easy feat, given they have no external genitalia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Perplexed, I stand and lift the wire, confirming it’s attached back at the tree.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
