confirm
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
(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
-
confirmabilitynoun
-
confirmernoun
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unconfirmabilitynoun
-
preconfirmverb (used with object)
-
reconfirmverb (used with object)
-
unconfirmverb (used with object)
-
confirmableadjective
-
confirmatoryadjective
-
nonconfirmingadjective
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confirminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
confirmsimple
-
confirmssimple
-
have confirmedperfect
-
has confirmedperfect
-
am confirmingprogressive
-
are confirmingprogressive
-
is confirmingprogressive
-
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:
The results confirm that the core brand is making progress, analysts at RBC Capital Markets said in a research note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Police told AFP they could not confirm any fatalities inside the building.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Dollar Index’s flag led to a test of support at the breakout point, and was resolved in the direction of the uptrend that preceded it to confirm the long-term breakout.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
She explained how they would confirm that the vaccine was effective at protecting people.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
To confirm the story, some phoned their local newspapers, radio stations, or the police.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
If future prospective research confirms the findings, diabetes prevention may need to become more personalized.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
In his view, that confirms that the long-term growth trajectory for chip makers is intact.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Serkis also confirms that he will not be directing the second new Lord of the Rings film, Shadow of the Past, written by the US chat show host Stephen Colbert.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The seat stays empty until the Senate confirms someone new.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
“No, he’s not,” confirms Nick, and my head whips toward the doorway.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller confirmed a related search warrant was served at Ontario International Airport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Many others were said to be in "cardiopulmonary arrest" - a term often used in preliminary reports in Japan before a death is officially confirmed.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
At a key stage in her treatment, genetic testing confirmed Lynette was also BRCA1 positive.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
WASHINGTON—The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence on Tuesday, placing the federal prosecutor to lead an agency that underwent rounds of staff cuts in recent weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Well, I was thinking of your mother’s beautiful name. Willa Aristéa Bradford Novis. I’ve confirmed that Willa is short for Wilhelmina, which makes sense.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The defence barrister then asked for a pre-sentence report to be compiled by probation on his client, with the Crown confirming Victim Impact Statements will also be made.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
However, confirming whether those planets have atmospheres has been one of the most difficult challenges in exoplanet research.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
South Kivu has now gone 49 consecutive days without confirming a new Ebola case, exceeding the disease’s maximum 42-day incubation period, the U.N. said this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Volkswagen's CEO told employees Monday a further 50,000 jobs could go at the struggling auto giant, according to an internal memo seen by AFP, confirming reports the group is targeting 100,000 cuts worldwide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
They are interested solely in confirming highly dubious theoretical hypotheses by the logic of analogy and induction, and make no attempt at refutation or intersubjective testing.’
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
