confirm

[ kuhn-furm ]

See synonyms for: confirm confirmed confirming confirms on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, or genuineness of; corroborate; verify: This report confirms my suspicions.
to acknowledge with definite assurance: Did the hotel confirm our room reservation?

to make valid or binding by some formal or legal act; sanction; ratify: to confirm a treaty;to confirm her appointment to the Supreme Court.
to make firm or more firm; add strength to; settle or establish firmly: Their support confirmed my determination to run for mayor.
to strengthen (a person) in habit, resolution, opinion, etc.: The accident confirmed him in his fear of driving.
to administer the religious rite of confirmation to.

Origin of confirm

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin confirmāre “to strengthen, confirm” (see con-, firm¹); replacing Middle English confermen, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Other words for confirm

1	prove, substantiate, authenticate, validate
4	fix

See synonyms for confirm on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for confirm

1	disprove
3	invalidate
4	shake

See antonyms for confirm on Thesaurus.com

Other words from confirm

con·firm·a·ble, adjective
con·firm·a·bil·i·ty, noun
con·firm·er; Law. con·fir·mor [kon-fer-mawr, kuhn-fur-mer], /ˌkɒn fərˈmɔr, kənˈfɜr mər/, noun
con·firm·ing·ly, adverb
non·con·firm·ing, adjective
pre·con·firm, verb (used with object)
re·con·firm, verb (used with object)
un·con·firm, verb (used with object)
un·con·firm·a·bil·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby confirm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use confirm in a sentence

Barry Schwartz“Is This New” unofficial Google Liaison After announcing passage ranking, formerly known as passage indexing, last October, Google has officially confirmed that it began to roll out passage indexing in the US English search results.
Google goes dark theme and passage ranking sees the light: Friday’s daily brief | Barry Schwartz | February 12, 2021 | Search Engine Land
Investigators relied on videos from inside the Capitol that circulated on social media to confirm his presence.
Grand jury beefs up charges against Olympian Klete Keller related to Capitol riot | Rick Maese | February 11, 2021 | Washington Post
Another group confirmed that emissions from eastern China have diminished since 2018 by analyzing air samples from Hateruma, Japan, and Gosan, South Korea.
A drop in CFC emissions puts the hole in the ozone layer back on track to closing | Maria Temming | February 10, 2021 | Science News
Asked Monday morning whether he’d spoken with his son since the crash, the head coach said that he had and confirmed that Britt Reid had undergone an unspecified surgery.
As police continue probe of Britt Reid crash, 5-year-old remains in critical condition | Rick Maese | February 9, 2021 | Washington Post
We are still investigating the incident, however at this time we can confirm that — to our best knowledge — the compromised systems did not contain any personal data of our players or users of our services.
CD Projekt hit by ransomware attack, refuses to pay ransom | Zack Whittaker | February 9, 2021 | TechCrunch

DNA tests were used to confirm Albert's status as father in both cases, following protracted legal battles.
Princess Charlene Gives Birth To Twins Gabriella and Jacques | Tom Sykes | December 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Prosecutor Alessandro Leopizzi wasted no time in repeating the transcript to ask Schettino to confirm his words.
The Costa Concordia’s Randy Reckless Captain Takes the Stand | Barbie Latza Nadeau | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Furthermore, data confirm a connection between education level and police behavior.
Are College Educated Police Safer? | Keli Goff | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Blood spatters on the pavement seem to confirm that he was moving toward Wilson when the instantly fatal shot was fired.
90 Seconds of Fury in Ferguson Are the Key to Making Peace in America | Michael Daly | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Just three Republicans out of 44 voted to confirm Hagel, himself a former GOP senator.
The Coming Battle for a New SecDef | Michael Tomasky | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
When the oath is given to confirm an assertion, it is sworn in confirmation of a covenant with God.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham
In later periods still, the history of African travelers, confirm all the former accounts concerning the industry of the people.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States | Martin R. Delany
But it is at least deserving of notice, that the very few apparent exceptions to this rule evidently tend to confirm it.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
Chet touched a button, and a white light flashed to confirm his report that all was clear.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931 | Various
To confirm the evidence of these gentlemen two or three sailors were put into the witness box.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for confirm

confirm

/ (kənˈfɜːm) /

verb(tr)

(may take a clause as object) to prove to be true or valid; corroborate; verify
(may take a clause as object) to assert for a second or further time, so as to make more definite: he confirmed that he would appear in court

to strengthen or make more firm: his story confirmed my doubts
to make valid by a formal act or agreement; ratify
to administer the rite of confirmation to

Origin of confirm

C13: from Old French confermer, from Latin confirmāre, from firmus firm 1

Derived forms of confirm

confirmable, adjective
confirmatory or confirmative, adjective
confirmer, noun

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

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