affidavit

noun

af·fi·da·vit | \ˌa-fə-ˈdā-vət

Definition of affidavit

: a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation (see affirmation sense 2) before an authorized magistrate or officer The witness's affidavit was presented to the court as evidence.

Promises, Promises: The History of Affidavit, Affiance, & Fiancé Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about affidavit

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Promises, Promises: The History of Affidavit, Affiance, & Fiancé

Affidavit refers to a written promise, and its Latin roots connect it to another kind of promise in English. It comes from a past tense form of the Latin verb affidare, meaning “to pledge”; in Latin, affidavit translates to “he or she has made a pledge.”

Affidare is also the root of affiance, an archaic English noun meaning “trust, faith, confidence,” “marriage contract or promise,” or a meaning that has completely fallen from use, “close or intimate relationship.” More familiar to modern English speakers is the verb affiance, meaning “to promise in marriage” or “to betroth.” It usually appears as a fancy-sounding participial adjective:

I like to give affianced friends a copy of Rebecca Mead’s book “One Perfect Day,” which exposes the ridiculous wedding industry.
—Mollie Hemingway, The Federalist, 7 October 2014

Affiance came through French to English in the 14th century, and, nearly 500 years later, the related French words fiancé and fiancée were added to English. Etymologically speaking, a fiancé or fiancée is a “promised one.”

Did You Know?

In Latin, affidavit means "he (she) has sworn an oath", and an affidavit is always a sworn written document. If it contains a lie, the person making it may be prosecuted. Affidavits are often used in court when it isn't possible for someone to appear in person. Police officers must usually file an affidavit with a judge to get a search warrant. Affidavits (unlike similar signed statements called depositions) are usually made without an opposing lawyer being present and able to ask questions.

Examples of affidavit in a Sentence

We have a signed affidavit stating that the two men were seen entering the building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Why did Ben’s mom give the affidavit to Thorpe to use as leverage to get Bass Industries instead of taking it to the D.A. herself to exonerate Ben? — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, "Every Single Episode of Gossip Girl, Ranked," 19 Sep. 2018 Meekins acknowledged in an affidavit that the streamlined vetting approach will make reunions happen faster. — Kristina Davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump administration outlines plan to reunify remaining 2,500 separated children," 14 July 2018 Police officers at the club said in an affidavit that Clifford pressed patrons’ faces into her chest and fondled the breasts of some women in the audience. — BostonGlobe.com, "Charges dropped against Stormy Daniels in strip club arrest," 13 July 2018 In an affidavit also filed Friday, Avery named two new suspects in the case, WISN-12 reported Saturday. — Jennifer Walter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Motion filed by Steven Avery's lawyer to add evidence to Halbach murder case; Avery names two new suspects in affidavit," 7 July 2018 In an affidavit, Gardlin cited seven accidents since 2015 in which passengers were able to escape planes designed to meet current standards. — David Koenig, chicagotribune.com, "FAA says it won't regulate amount of airline legroom," 3 July 2018 Authorities say in an affidavit that two armed men wearing masks — one black, one red — got out of an SUV that was blocking the rapper's luxury car outside the Riva Motorsports motorcycle shop. — Fox News, "XXXTentacion fans mourn slain rapper, view his casket at stadium," 27 June 2018 In the affidavit, Detective Curcio says that XXXTentacion, an influential 20-year-old rapper whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, arrived at Riva Motorsports in Deerfield Beach, Fla., at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, with an unidentified friend. — Ben Sisario, New York Times, "XXXTentacion’s Killers Tracked Him as He Entered Motorcycle Dealership," 22 June 2018 In an recent interview and in an affidavit attached to his Thursday filing, Spinner provided additional details about his relationship with Garces over the years. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "Investors file appeal to block Garces auction," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affidavit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near affidavit

affidavit of verification

affidavy

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Last Updated

12 Nov 2018

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Time Traveler for affidavit

The first known use of affidavit was in 1515

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More Definitions for affidavit

affidavit

noun

English Language Learners Definition of affidavit

law : a written report which is signed by a person who promises that the information is true

See the full definition for affidavit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

affidavit

noun

af·fi·da·vit | \ˌa-fə-ˈdā-vət

Kids Definition of affidavit

: a written statement signed by a person who swears that the information is true

affidavit

noun

af·fi·da·vit | \ˌa-fə-ˈdā-vət

Legal Definition of affidavit

: a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer — compare deposition, examination