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:
In a series of legal actions this year, the agency has sued states to affirm its exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 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
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
Israel and Lebanon, with US support, "affirm their shared goal of achieving lasting peace and security," the agreement begins.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
“Let’s ignore those who would bring us down and affirm, Teen Dreamers: How are we gonna get us some fish?”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Yet for all his criticisms of Hayek, Skidelsky affirms that Hayek and Keynes were at one in their desire to preserve liberal civilization from the radicals of the left and right in their time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 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
A legal settlement announced this week now affirms that private immigrant detention facilities are subject to California’s workplace safety and health requirements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
At the same time the sacrament of the Mass affirms ‘the perpetual contemporaneity of The Passion’ and celebrates the ‘marriage of time present with time past’.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
The full state parole board affirmed that decision, giving Wade the earliest possible release date of December 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 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
Fitch affirmed the lender at A+ in March, while Moody’s rates it A1 following an upgrade last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
I was really lucky that so many subjects were so kind to me and affirmed I wasn’t my grandfather and that I didn’t need to carry historical or generational burdens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“A carrier of twin X chromosomes,” I affirmed.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
He currently helms the “Yass, Jesus!” podcast, an interfaith and sexuality affirming comedy show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Critics, however, say that therapists should be questioning their clients’ estrangement beliefs, not affirming them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Ali Munshi said she recognizes her daughter’s success as a natural outcome of her family and community affirming and encouraging her from an early age.
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
Briony studied her mother’s face for every trace of shifting emotion, and Emily Tallis obliged with looks of alarm, snickers of glee and, at the end, grateful smiles and wise, affirming nods.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
