affirmation

American  

[af-er-mey-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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

affirmation affirmations

Despite political drama and a disappointing end to the U.S. team’s run, the 2026 World Cup proved to be an eye-opening affirmation of American soft power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

The NSF grant is the latest affirmation of D-Wave’s strong backing at the federal level.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

EW&F is emblematic of Black identity, uplifting Black joy through a message of infinite possibility and affirmation, “feeding into little souls like mine,” says Michelle Obama.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026

And she said yes, which was true, but she sensed that he did not always believe her, or that his belief lasted only so long before he would need to hear her affirmation again.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Positive affirmations were driving the healthcare sector higher.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

Doubts will rise among the U.S.’s allies in Asia, despite rhetorical affirmations of strong ties, said Henrietta Levin, a former National Security Council director for China during the Biden administration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 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

“It must preserve the core mission,” Payne said, “which is academic acceleration, social-emotional support and cultural affirmations for Black students.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2025

And—Citra couldn’t believe it—some laughter and affirmations as well.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• assertion
• confirmation