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
-
affirmernoun
-
overaffirmverb
-
preaffirmverb
-
reaffirmverb (used with object)
-
affirmableadjective
-
affirmablyadverb
-
affirminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
affirmsimple
-
affirmssimple
-
have affirmedperfect
-
has affirmedperfect
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Culture: Current Events Vocab for October 3–9, 2020
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Later that same week, one report after another would affirm AI’s march of market dominance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The university “remains committed to full compliance with federal law” and “welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively and constructively with the federal government to affirm that commitment.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Advocates are beating back policies that make it a crime to be homeless and fighting to affirm the rights of their homeless neighbors.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
There’s nothing to affirm a tribal identity, or consolidate power around a leader, like having an Other to denounce.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
“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
Pixar affirms this by incorporating a Totoro cameo into “Toy Story 3.”
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
S&P affirms Indonesia’s BBB long-term sovereign credit rating, and expects the government to keep its fiscal deficit below the legal ceiling of 3% of GDP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 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
"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
With the passage of the Genius Act in 2025, Congress affirmed these benefits and laid out a regulatory framework.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
No one else had affirmed my bangs in quite the same way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
In late July, China affirmed that it would tax offshore trusts, previously a popular tool for wealthy Chinese to park assets overseas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
"I do leave it alone," affirmed the accused hollowly.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Delaware County, Pa., in suburban Philadelphia, already has taken such a step — adding prediction markets to an oath poll workers already were required to sign affirming that they have not wagered on the election.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Critics, however, say that therapists should be questioning their clients’ estrangement beliefs, not affirming them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“I don’t want kids to think that, and I don’t want parents to think that because affirming your kid is right and life-saving.”
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to fire a governor of the US central bank, in a ruling seen as affirming the Federal Reserve's independence.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
This I had believed with all my being, but now, though still inwardly affirming that belief, I felt a blighting hurt which prevented me from trying further to defend myself.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
