- a variation of yay.
yea
Americanadverb
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yes (used in affirmation or assent).
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indeed.
Yea, and he did come.
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not only this but even.
a good, yea, a noble man.
noun
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yeas
plural
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an affirmation; an affirmative reply or vote.
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a person who votes in the affirmative.
adverb
Usage
What does yea mean? Yea is an old way of saying yes. It’s especially used as a way of voting yes—the opposite of voting nay (no). In this sense, it can be used as a noun meaning a vote of yes, as in There are six yeas and three nays—the yeas have it. Based on its use in voting, yea is sometimes used in the informal question Yea or nay? (meaning Yes or no?). Yea is also found in old literature as a way of saying indeed or truly, as in Yea, he hath prevailed. Yea can also be used in expressions like about yea tall, meaning “about this tall.” When it’s used in this way, yea refers to the amount being indicated, such as by holding one’s hand at a certain height to indicate how tall something is. However, this sense of yea is more commonly spelled yay. Although the word yeah looks very similar to (and is often misspelled as) yea (and, yea, the two are related), yea in fact rhymes with its opposite, nay. This means it’s pronounced exactly like another word it’s confused with: yay (which is most commonly used as a celebratory exclamation). Example: Yay! The proposal passed unanimously! Everyone voted yea!
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of yea
before 900; Middle English ye, ya, Old English gēa; cognate with Dutch, German, Old Norse, Gothic ja
Explanation
Yea sounds like "yay" and is another word for "yes." It's often paired with "nay" when taking a vote in formal government or law and sometimes when asking friends if they want to get together, "Yea or nay?" When an official asks for a vote on a bill or judgment, the question may be "How say you?" in the old style of English with an equally old-school response of "Yea" meaning a vote in favor. Using yea in casual conversation is less common but it's useful for showing that a person's "yes" counts as a vote because it matters in making a decision, as when you ask each other "Are you in or out — yea or nay?" when making plans.
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:
Congress is crying out for a dedicated White House ambassador—someone who can be trusted to speak for the president, to yea or nay ideas, to shuttle proposals, to wrangle rebels in line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The shares are up around 20% this yea, while the world’s largest crypto is up 9.7% in 2026.
From Barron's ● Jan. 14, 2026
“So did I go past the time I needed to repay yea probably did, did i know they would locked me up, hellllllllll No,” Morris wrote, followed by four crying while laughing emojis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2025
Born in 1970, he grew up in poverty as one of eight children in China's north-eastern Shandong Province, according to a profile published in The New Yorker last yea, externalr.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2024
She did not gossip with the other women—she had nothing, indeed, to gossip about—but kept her communication to yea and nay, and read her Bible, and prayed.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Feijoo will need the support of 176 lawmakers out of the lower house's 350 deputies to clinch the premiership, or, failing that, a simple majority of more yeas than nays in a second vote.
From Reuters ● Aug. 22, 2023
In the 40 yeas Roger has been taking pictures of miners, attitudes towards coal have shifted and there has been a move towards greener energy.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2023
With $1.5 billion in ticket sales, “Top Gun: Maverick” helped bring moviegoers — especially older, more hesitant moviegoers — back to theaters after two-plus yeas of pandemic.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 20, 2023
When the yeas prevailed, there was bipartisan applause, as if a particularly hostile foreign adversary had been defeated.
From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2022
February 23, 1863, Trumbull's substitute was agreed to by yeas 25, nays 12, and the bill was passed by 24 to 13.
From The Life of Lyman Trumbull by Horace White
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.
