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affirmation

[af-er-mey-shuh n]
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noun
  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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Origin of affirmation

1535–45; < Latin affirmātiōn- (stem of affirmātiō), equivalent to affirmāt(us) (past participle of affirmāre to affirm) + -iōn- -ion
Related formsnon·af·fir·ma·tion, nouno·ver·af·fir·ma·tion, nounpre·af·fir·ma·tion, nounre·af·fir·ma·tion, nounself-af·fir·ma·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for affirmation

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • I will test this affirmation by several and varied illustrations.

    Slavery Ordained of God

    Rev. Fred A. Ross, D.D.

  • This is the affirmation of the liberty claimed by infidelity.

    Slavery Ordained of God

    Rev. Fred A. Ross, D.D.

  • Had not every action of his been an affirmation of their relation?

    The Innocent Adventuress

    Mary Hastings Bradley

  • She looked up into the handsome face with a faint smile of affirmation.

    Dr. Sevier

    George W. Cable

  • In verbs there are five tenses, or times, expressing an action, or affirmation.

British Dictionary definitions for affirmation

affirmation

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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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for affirmation

n.

early 15c., "assertion that something is true," from Old French afermacion (14c.), from Latin affirmationem (nominative affirmatio) "an affirmation, solid assurance," noun of action from past participle stem of affirmare (see affirm). In law, as the Quaker alternative to oath-taking, it is attested from 1690s.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper