affirmation

[af-er-mey-shuh n]

noun

the act or an instance of affirming; state of being affirmed.

the assertion that something exists or is true.

something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declared to be true.

confirmation or ratification of the truth or validity of a prior judgment, decision, etc.

Law. a solemn declaration accepted instead of a statement under oath.

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for self-affirmation

Historical Examples of self-affirmation

The justification of suffering is that the will affirms itself; and the self-affirmation is justified by payment of the penalty.
Schopenhauer
Thomas Whittaker

British Dictionary definitions for self-affirmation

affirmation

noun

the act of affirming or the state of being affirmed

a statement of the existence or truth of something; assertion

law a solemn declaration permitted on grounds of conscientious objection to taking an oath

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 self-affirmation

affirmation

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.