confirm
Americanverb (used with object)
-
confirms,
present (3rd person singular)
-
confirmed,
past participle, past
-
confirming
present participle
-
to establish the truth, accuracy, validity, or genuineness of; corroborate; verify.
This report confirms my suspicions.
- Synonyms:
- validate, authenticate, substantiate, prove
- Antonyms:
- disprove
-
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.
- Antonyms:
- invalidate
-
to make firm or more firm; add strength to; settle or establish firmly.
Their support confirmed my determination to run for mayor.
- Synonyms:
- fix
- Antonyms:
- shake
-
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.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to prove to be true or valid; corroborate; verify
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(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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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confirmabilitynoun
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confirmernoun
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unconfirmabilitynoun
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preconfirmverb (used with object)
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reconfirmverb (used with object)
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unconfirmverb (used with object)
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confirmableadjective
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confirmatoryadjective
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nonconfirmingadjective
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confirminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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confirmsimple
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confirmssimple
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have confirmedperfect
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has confirmedperfect
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am confirmingprogressive
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are confirmingprogressive
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is confirmingprogressive
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have been confirmingperfect progressive
-
has been confirmingperfect progressive
Past
-
confirmedsimple
-
had confirmedperfect
-
was confirmingprogressive
-
were confirmingprogressive
-
had been confirmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of confirm
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin confirmāre “to strengthen, confirm” ( see con-, firm 1); replacing Middle English confermen, from Old French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
When you need to make sure before you leave that you have a reservation, you often call ahead to confirm, that is, to make sure that your tickets or space are set aside for you. The firm in confirm should give you a clue as to the word's meaning: to shore up or verify something. When you make sure something is set, or firm, you confirm it. The word comes from the Latin con- "together, altogether," and firmāre "make firm," so confirm originally meant roughly "to make (something) altogether firm."
Vocabulary lists containing confirm
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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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.
See Examples For:
In a statement to AFP, the Interior Department appeared to confirm that negotiations had taken place but denied any political pressure to reach a predetermined outcome.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
They said they’d have to return that afternoon to confirm her condition before anyone would take her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Defendants’ contemporaneous words and deeds confirm that the challenged actions were based on a desire to make a public example out of Anthropic for its ‘arrogance’ in criticizing the government,” Lin wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
"If future clinical studies confirm the findings, indigo-enriched lighting could become a safe, passive and scalable way to help reduce childhood myopia risk."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The soldier asked Mrs. Surratt to confirm the man’s story.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
In a four-star review, external, the Times noted how Heaton's "casually funny" and "deceptively piercing" latest album "again confirms his gift for dissecting human weakness with an unsentimental but humane eye".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
If future research confirms and expands on that connection, understanding how CRH signaling affects OPCs, myelin formation, and brain development could eventually point toward completely new therapeutic approaches.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
If the employer confirms the bonus was for work performed in 2025, filing the SSA-131 keeps it out of that calculation.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Miami-Dade court case database confirms that Hilton’s mother Teresita Lavandeira filed a petition for temporary custody over three minor children on Aug. 7.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
I ask, though I know it’s the police before he even confirms it.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
It was later confirmed a 41-year-old man from Eastbourne in East Sussex had died.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
US President Donald Trump confirmed the concerted action aboard Air Force One early this month, calling it a "signal of friendship" with Japan, and "good for the world economy".
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Chinese authorities confirmed five deaths and 558 missing, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Ashmore said he was surprised by the viral response online, but confirmed that he had only completed two weeks out of the five assigned to the job, and "touch-ups" were still needed.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
“He agreed, and then confirmed that for everyone’s safety, you had to kill the vampires, yes?”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Hom also leads precursor observing programs with ground-based telescopes, work that is essential for confirming which targets should be selected for future Roman science programs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
Consumer sentiment worsened in August, confirming its preliminary reading earlier this month, according to the University of Michigan’s monthly survey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Addressing Macron, he added: "Thank you for confirming your readiness to provide licenses for the production of missiles."
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Cyborg has hinted her fight with Vieira will be her final MMA bout without confirming she is set to retire.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
After the bishop used it in confirming her, she need never even mention the name again.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
