affirmative

[ uh-fur-muh-tiv ]

adjective

1. affirming or assenting; asserting the truth, validity, or fact of something.
2. expressing agreement or consent; assenting:

   an affirmative reply.

3. positive; not negative.
4. Logic. noting a proposition in which a property of a subject is affirmed, as “All men are happy.”

noun

1. something that affirms or asserts; a positive statement or proposition; affirmation.
2. a reply indicating assent, as Yes or I do.
3. a manner or mode that indicates assent:

   a reply in the affirmative.

4. the side, as in a debate, that affirms or defends a statement that the opposite side denies or attacks:

   to speak for the affirmative.

interjection

1. (used to indicate agreement, assent, etc.):

   “Is this the right way to Lake George?” “Affirmative.”

affirmative

/ əˈfɜːmətɪv /

adjective

1. confirming or asserting something as true or valid

   an affirmative statement

2. indicating agreement or assent

   an affirmative answer

3. logic
   1. (of a categorial proposition) affirming the satisfaction by the subject of the predicate, as in all birds have feathers; some men are married
   2. not containing negation Compare negative

noun

1. a positive assertion
2. a word or phrase stating agreement or assent, such as yes (esp in the phrase answer in the affirmative )
3. logic an affirmative proposition
4. the affirmative
   the side in a debate that supports the proposition

sentence substitute

1. military a signal codeword used to express assent or confirmation

Derived Forms

• afˈfirmatively, adverb

Other Words From

• af·firma·tive·ly adverb
• over·af·firma·tive adjective
• over·af·firma·tive·ly adverb
• preaf·firma·tive adjective
• quasi-af·firma·tive adjective
• quasi-af·firma·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of affirmative¹

1400–50; < Latin affirmātīvus, equivalent to affirmāt- ( affirmation ) + -īvus -ive; replacing late Middle English affirmatyff < Middle French < Latin

Example Sentences

Because I already know that D.C.’s three electoral votes are going to Harris anyway, it felt like an extremely affirmative act to cast my vote for her.

From Slate

Americans love the concept of equality under the law: That’s part of why the cases made by the Civil Rights Movement, the feminist movement, and the movement for same-sex marriage were so successful, even if these movements remain unfinished; it’s why programs like affirmative action have long been controversial, and why equality between groups with real biological differences—men and women—has been particularly hard to legislate and enforce.

From Slate

The penalties could be per customer or per bottle — the case will be prosecuted in civil court by the County Counsel’s Affirmative Litigation and Consumer Protection Division.

From Los Angeles Times

“In my newsroom trainings, I always advise journalists that the best course of action in an all-party consent jurisdiction will be to get the affirmative consent of all parties on the call prior to recording,” she said.

From Slate

They said she was stupid and basically a "DEI" or "affirmative action" or "quota" hire, "the enemy within" to be vanquished.

From Salon