affirm
English
Etymology
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From Middle English affirmen, affermen, from Old French afermer, affermer, from Latin affirmare, adfirmare (“to present as fixed, aver, affirm”), from ad (“to”) + firmare (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”).
Pronunciation
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Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(r)m
Verb
affirm (third-person singular simple present affirms, present participle affirming, simple past and past participle affirmed)
- To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively.
- She affirmed that she would go when I asked her.
- To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true.
- Bible, Acts xxv. 19
- Jesus, […] whom Paul affirmed to be alive
- Bible, Acts xxv. 19
- To support or encourage.
- They did everything they could to affirm the children's self-confidence.
- To make firm; to confirm, or ratify; especially (law) to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order, brought before an appellate court for review.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- disaffirm
- deny (of 1,2)
- repudiate (of 2)
- invalidate (of 4)
Related terms
Translations
to agree with or verify
|
to support or encourage
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also
Further reading
- “affirm”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “affirm”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “affirm”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.