affirmation

American  

[af-er-mey-shuhn] / ˌæf ərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

affirmations plural

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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affirmation British  

/ ˌæfəˈmeɪʃən /

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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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonaffirmation
  noun
• overaffirmation
  noun
• preaffirmation
  noun
• reaffirmation
  noun
• self-affirmation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• affirmations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of affirmation

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin affirmātiōn-, stem of affirmātiō, equivalent to affirmāt(us) (past participle of affirmāre affirm ) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An affirmation is a big fat YES, an assertion that something is true. Affirmations can show up in court, or taped to the walls of people who need reassurance. In court, it's a judgment from a higher court that agrees with one from a lower one, or something a religious person who doesn't want to take an oath can use. Quakers use affirmations on the stand instead of swearing, because they always speak plainly. It means to assure, or agree, so you might find affirmations like "You're awesome!" or "Lookin' good" taped to the mirror of people who need to chin up.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

affirmation affirmations

The NSF grant is the latest affirmation of D-Wave’s strong backing at the federal level.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

More often, it is an affirmation of where home feels strongest.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

EW&F is emblematic of Black identity, uplifting Black joy through a message of infinite possibility and affirmation, “feeding into little souls like mine,” says Michelle Obama.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026

They are, at their best, an affirmation of meaning and sacrifice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

The song was of affirmation and of witness.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Positive affirmations were driving the healthcare sector higher.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

After introducing the inspiration behind “Moon Garden,” which contains 12 sections of spiritual poems, insights and affirmations tied to Earth’s lunar cycles, Godfred answers questions posed by Ford and the audience.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

So we spent 45 minutes in a dimly lit room riding stationary bikes at intense speeds while an instructor shouted affirmations from the front of the room.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

The voices that filled its streets earlier this month were not only cries of protest; they were affirmations of identity.

From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2026

“Every problem is a solution in disguise,” Shanti said, echoing one of the Miss Teen Dream manual’s affirmations.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Related Words

• assertion
• confirmation