affirm
Americanverb (used with object)
-
affirms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
affirmed,
past participle, past
-
affirming
present participle
-
to state or assert positively; maintain as true.
to affirm one's loyalty to one's country; He affirmed that all was well.
- Synonyms:
- testify, depose, asseverate, aver
- Antonyms:
- deny
-
to confirm or ratify.
The appellate court affirmed the judgment of the lower court.
-
to assert solemnly.
He affirmed his innocence.
-
to express agreement with or commitment to; uphold; support.
to affirm human rights.
-
to support (someone) by giving approval, recognition, or encouragement.
She described the unhappy memory of her father, who had neither disciplined nor affirmed her.
verb (used without object)
-
affirms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
affirmed,
past participle, past
-
affirming
present participle
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to declare to be true; assert positively
-
to uphold, confirm, or ratify
-
(intr) law to make an affirmation
Synonym Usage
See declare.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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affirmernoun
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overaffirmverb
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preaffirmverb
-
reaffirmverb (used with object)
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affirmableadjective
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affirmablyadverb
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affirminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
affirmsimple
-
affirmssimple
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have affirmedperfect
-
has affirmedperfect
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am affirmingprogressive
-
are affirmingprogressive
-
is affirmingprogressive
-
have been affirmingperfect progressive
-
has been affirmingperfect progressive
Past
-
affirmedsimple
-
had affirmedperfect
-
was affirmingprogressive
-
were affirmingprogressive
-
had been affirmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of affirm
First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin affirmāre, equivalent to af- af- + firmāre “to make firm” ( see firm 1); replacing Middle English a(f)fermen, from Middle French afermer, from Latin
Explanation
To affirm something is to give it a big "YES" or to confirm that it is true. The verb affirm means to answer positively, but it has a more weighty meaning in legal circles. People are asked to swear an oath or affirm that they will tell the truth in a court of law. Lawyers may ask people to affirm facts, and judges may affirm rulings. In these cases, affirm means to verify or attest to the validity of something.
Vocabulary lists containing affirm
Speech and Debate
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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:
This likely won’t mobilize them, as there’s no positive result they can expect to affirm.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
A decision based on a tie vote would affirm Boulder’s early stage victory but would not set a precedent that would govern other cases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Anyone who has spent time with Chabad clergy can affirm their sense of faith in God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
But there is another kind of urgency: If her capacity continues to decline, some of these “workaround windows” that require her to appear in person or affirm her own wishes will eventually close entirely.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
"Because we gave them the opportunity to express their feelings, to affirm themselves."
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
And beyond consenting to, that affirms that entitlement.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
She believes the painting affirms that the bull knows what is best for Europa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“I mean, I’m such a fan of ‘Paradise,’” she affirms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"I'll go to social media before Google or somewhere else. Everyone is already talking about it," affirms Major.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Always,” Dedd affirms, used to this fixed, monolithic language around interviewers and mythologizers of her sisters.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Circuit Court of Appeals, but in April 2025, a divided three-judge panel affirmed the dismissal, agreeing with the district court that Salazar’s newsletter subscription didn’t make him a subscriber under the law.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026
Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal, holding that a complaint alleging underperformance has to point to a meaningful benchmark—a genuinely comparable investment—before a court will let the case proceed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
And last year, the Colorado Supreme Court affirmed that decision, meaning Boulder’s lawsuit could finally move forward.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
"With several lives lost and many injured, the toll remains provisional. The minister offered condolences, affirmed solidarity with families, and ordered assessments of affected schools to ensure learning continuity."
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
At the same time I wondered why my citizenship had to be so loudly affirmed, and I couldn’t imagine why affirming it would really make any difference.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
An image issued by Zardari's office showed his signature affirming the measures.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
He currently helms the “Yass, Jesus!” podcast, an interfaith and sexuality affirming comedy show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Data from 2025-26 indicated "significantly higher rates of referral for gender affirming surgery... compared with English gender services", said Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
President George W. Bush aligned the executive branch with Congress in affirming the modernization of the GAO as a legislative agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Each church had its own school and social clubs, affirming and maintaining the ways of the homeland, serving as the anchor for community in the new land.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
