affirmation

American  

[af-er-may-shuhn] / ˌæf ərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

• affirmations
  plural

1. 

   the act or an instance of affirming; state of being affirmed.

2. the assertion that something exists or is true.

3. something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.

4. confirmation or ratification of the truth or validity of a prior judgment, decision, etc.

5. Law. a solemn declaration accepted instead of a statement under oath.

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affirmation British  

/ ˌæfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of affirming or the state of being affirmed

2. a statement of the existence or truth of something; assertion

3. law a solemn declaration permitted on grounds of conscientious objection to taking an oath

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonaffirmation
  noun
• overaffirmation
  noun
• preaffirmation
  noun
• reaffirmation
  noun
• self-affirmation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• affirmations
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

affirmation affirmations

Diane Swonk, chief U.S. economist at KPMG, called the vote “a much needed affirmation of the Fed’s independence.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

I’ve no desire to kind of glean the kind of affirmation from the person I’m talking to.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

The breathtaking $26.5 billion listing by SK provided some much-needed affirmation to investors that the AI boom remains on course, despite lingering worries about extended valuations and eye-watering capital spending.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

More often, it is an affirmation of where home feels strongest.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

She often told an outward lie, willing herself to be peppy in church, at school, using positive affirmation, which turns out not to be at all the same thing as telling the truth.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

They described being unable to take in even the most effusive messages from their audience – the types of affirmations that had initially pushed them to begin creating in the first place.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Positive affirmations were driving the healthcare sector higher.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

So we spent 45 minutes in a dimly lit room riding stationary bikes at intense speeds while an instructor shouted affirmations from the front of the room.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

Again, there was a website, where fans could receive positive affirmations like "you are distanced, but not far from my heart", or "treat people with kindness", each signed with the phrase, "Love, H".

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026

“Every problem is a solution in disguise,” Shanti said, echoing one of the Miss Teen Dream manual’s affirmations.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

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Related Words

• assertion
• confirmation

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