affirmation
Americannoun
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the act or an instance of affirming; state of being affirmed.
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the assertion that something exists or is true.
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something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.
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confirmation or ratification of the truth or validity of a prior judgment, decision, etc.
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Law. a solemn declaration accepted instead of a statement under oath.
noun
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the act of affirming or the state of being affirmed
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a statement of the existence or truth of something; assertion
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law a solemn declaration permitted on grounds of conscientious objection to taking an oath
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonaffirmationnoun
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overaffirmationnoun
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preaffirmationnoun
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reaffirmationnoun
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self-affirmationnoun
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of affirmation
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin affirmātiōn-, stem of affirmātiō, equivalent to affirmāt(us) (past participle of affirmāre affirm ) + -iō -ion
Explanation
An affirmation is a big fat YES, an assertion that something is true. Affirmations can show up in court, or taped to the walls of people who need reassurance. In court, it's a judgment from a higher court that agrees with one from a lower one, or something a religious person who doesn't want to take an oath can use. Quakers use affirmations on the stand instead of swearing, because they always speak plainly. It means to assure, or agree, so you might find affirmations like "You're awesome!" or "Lookin' good" taped to the mirror of people who need to chin up.
Vocabulary lists containing affirmation
The Bill of Rights
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The Constitution of the United States
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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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.
Other megaprojects include the $3.8 billion Bronzeville Lakefront project in Chicago and the proposed Affirmation Tower in Manhattan by the developer Don Peebles and the architect David Adjaye.
From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2022
Affirmation card decks and healing crystal kits have been tailored for tweens.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2022
Affirmation that anything is possible with perseverance, belief and hard work.
From BBC • Aug. 13, 2021
The Daily Show packaged Pirro’s blockbuster report about how much you suck into a Daily Affirmation:
From Slate • May 15, 2019
Long, extraordinary, and not inglorious, was the ascent from such a position as this, to the principles so nobly vindicated in the speech on the Affirmation bill in 1883.
From The Life of William Ewart Gladstone, Vol. 1 (of 3) 1809-1859 by Morley, John
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.
