Adjacent Words

Affirm definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AFFIRM, v.t. afferm' [L. affirmo; ad and firmo, to make firm. See Firm.]
1. To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to declare the existence of something; to maintain as true; opposed to deny.
Of one Jesus whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Acts 25.
2. To make firm; to establish, confirm or ratify; as, the Supreme court affirmed the judgment.
AFFIRM', v.i. To declare solemnly before a court or magistrate, for confirming a fact, or to have an affirmation administered to, by way of confirmation, or as a substitute for an oath; as, the witness affirmed to the fact, or he was affirmed to the fact.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant" [syn: confirm, corroborate, sustain, substantiate, support, affirm] [ant: contradict, negate]
2: to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before God I swear I am innocent" [syn: affirm, verify, assert, avow, aver, swan, swear]
3: say yes to

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English affermen, from Anglo-French afermer, from Latin affirmare, from ad- + firmare to make firm, from firmus firm — more at firm Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. validate, confirm b. to state positively <he affirmed his innocence> 2. to assert (as a judgment or decree) as valid or confirmed 3. to express dedication to <affirm life> intransitive verb 1. to testify or declare by affirmation as distinguished from swearing an oath 2. to uphold a judgment or decree of a lower court Synonyms: see assert • affirmable adjective • affirmance noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. assert strongly; state as a fact. 2 intr. a Law make an affirmation. b make a formal declaration. 3 tr. Law confirm, ratify (a judgement). Derivatives: affirmatory adj. affirmer n. Etymology: ME f. OF afermer f. L affirmare (as AD-, firmus strong)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Affirm Af*firm", v. i. 1. To declare or assert positively. Not that I so affirm, though so it seem To thee, who hast thy dwelling here on earth. --Milton. 2. (Law) To make a solemn declaration, before an authorized magistrate or tribunal, under the penalties of perjury; to testify by affirmation.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Affirm Af*firm" ([a^]f*f[~e]rm"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Affirmed (-f[~e]rmd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Affirming.] [OE. affermen, OF. afermer, F. affirmer, affermir, fr. L. affirmare; ad + firmare to make firm, firmus firm. See Firm.] 1. To make firm; to confirm, or ratify; esp. (Law), to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order, brought before an appellate court for review. 2. To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true; -- opposed to deny. Jesus, . . . whom Paul affirmed to be alive. --Acts xxv. 19. 3. (Law) To declare, as a fact, solemnly, under judicial sanction. See Affirmation, 4. Syn: To assert; aver; declare; asseverate; assure; pronounce; protest; avouch; confirm; establish; ratify. Usage: To Affirm, Asseverate, Aver, Protest. We affirm when we declare a thing as a fact or a proposition. We asseverate it in a peculiarly earnest manner, or with increased positiveness as what can not be disputed. We aver it, or formally declare it to be true, when we have positive knowledge of it. We protest in a more public manner and with the energy of perfect sincerity. People asseverate in order to produce a conviction of their veracity; they aver when they are peculiarly desirous to be believed; they protest when they wish to free themselves from imputations, or to produce a conviction of their innocence.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(affirms, affirming, affirmed) 1. If you affirm that something is true or that something exists, you state firmly and publicly that it is true or exists. (FORMAL) The House of Lords affirmed that the terms of a contract cannot be rewritten retrospectively. ...a speech in which he affirmed a commitment to lower taxes... 'This place is a dump,' affirmed Miss T. = assert VERB: V that, V n, V with quote • affirmation (affirmations) The ministers issued an affirmation of their faith in the system. N-VAR 2. If an event affirms something, it shows that it is true or exists. (FORMAL) Everything I had accomplished seemed to affirm that opinion. = confirm VERB: V n • affirmation The high turnout was an affirmation of the importance that the voters attached to the election. N-UNCOUNT: also a N

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Declare, aver, assert, maintain, asseverate, avouch, vouch, allege, say, profess, protest, pronounce, predicate, state, depose, testify, bear witness to. 2. Confirm, ratify, approve, establish, indorse. II. v. n. Make solemn declaration, make asseveration, make averment, pledge one's word. [Distinguished from Swear, make oath, which see.]

Moby Thesaurus

OK, accept, accredit, acknowledge, allege, amen, announce, annunciate, approve, argue, assert, assever, asseverate, attest, authenticate, authorize, autograph, aver, avouch, avow, back, back up, bear out, bear witness, bolster, buttress, certify, circumstantiate, confess, confirm, contend, corroborate, cosign, countersign, declare, declare roundly, depone, depose, disclose, document, endorse, enunciate, express, express the belief, fortify, give evidence, give notice, give permission, give the go-ahead, give the imprimatur, give thumbs up, guarantee, have, hold, initial, insist, issue a manifesto, issue a statement, lay down, maintain, make a statement, make an announcement, manifesto, notarize, nuncupate, pass, pass on, pass upon, permit, predicate, probate, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, prove, publish a manifesto, put, put it, quote, ratify, recite, reinforce, relate, report, rubber stamp, sanction, say, say amen to, seal, second, set down, sign, sign and seal, speak, speak out, speak up, stand for, stand on, state, strengthen, submit, subscribe to, substantiate, support, sustain, swear, swear and affirm, swear to, testify, undergird, undersign, underwrite, uphold, validate, verify, visa, vise, vouch, vow, warrant, witness