affirm

verb af·firm \ ə-ˈfərm \

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: affirm in a Sentence

Definition of affirm

affirmed; affirming; affirms

transitive verb

1 a : validate, confirm

He was affirmed as a candidate.

b : to state positively

He affirmed his innocence.

2 : to assert (something, such as a judgment or decree) as valid or confirmed

The court affirmed his conviction.

3 : to show or express a strong belief in or dedication to (something, such as an important idea)

laws affirming the racial equality of all people

intransitive verb

1 : to testify or declare by affirmation (see affirmation 2) as distinguished from swearing an oath

2 : to uphold a judgment or decree of a lower court

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affirmable

play \ə-ˈfər-mə-bəl\ adjective

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affirmance

play \ə-ˈfər-mən(t)s\ noun

See affirm defined for English-language learners

See affirm defined for kids

Examples of affirm in a Sentence

We cannot affirm that this painting is genuine.
They neither affirmed nor denied their guilt.
laws affirming the racial equality of all peoples
They continued to affirm their religious beliefs.
The decision was affirmed by a higher court.

Recent Examples of affirm from the Web

Liam then seemingly affirmed her tweet by liking it.

— claire dodson, Teen Vogue, "Cheryl Cole Defends Mom from Tabloids That Blame Her for Cheryl's Split With Liam Payne," 3 July 2018
Pruitt appealed her conviction to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, but the court affirmed the conviction and then denied her application for a rehearing.

— greg hanlon, PEOPLE.com, "Alabama Teacher Told Student She Wanted to Take His Virginity, Reports to Jail," 2 July 2018
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said she is encouraged by the number of teachers who have affirmed their membership in recent months, with recommitment rates of up to 95 percent in some places.

— chicagotribune.com, "Unions brace for loss of members and fees in wake of Supreme Court ruling," 28 June 2018
The trial court summarily dismissed Aram’s claims and the Court of Appeal affirmed.

— dan eaton, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Not every workplace complaint is legally protected whistleblowing," 25 June 2018
The chamber’s position was ‘nothing to see here, move along,’ and now the Kansas Court of Appeals has unanimously affirmed the opposite view … and said there is a problem, this is unconstitutional.

— bryan lowry, kansascity, "How Kobach met Trump: Hunting buddy links Kansas Republican and president’s family," 17 June 2018
On occasion, Donald Trump has made impudent remarks, which rather than raising awareness or opening a dialogue, have tended to affirm unconscious biases.

— gene baur, Fortune, "Immigrant Farm Workers Endure Inhumane Conditions. Here’s What We Can Do," 8 June 2018
Written almost entirely by Wiggins, the album’s songs affirm why some reviewers have likened her style to Bonnie Raitt, with traces of a Melissa Etheridge vibe.

— bob kostanczuk, Post-Tribune, "Sean Wiggins brings diverse style to Whiting stage," 6 June 2018
Musk choked up while affirming production goals for the Model 3 Tesla skeptics had argued that the company would not be able to meet the production goals for its Model 3 cars.

— kevin kelleher, Fortune, "6 Things We Just Learned from Tesla's Shareholder Meeting," 6 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of affirm

alteration (conformed to Latin affirmāre) of Middle English affermen "to fix firmly, make steadfast, establish, confirm, assert," borrowed from Anglo-French afermer, affermer, going back to Latin affirmāre "to strengthen, confirm, assert positively," from ad- ad- + firmāre "to strengthen, fortify," derivative of firmus "strong, durable, ¹firm"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

affirm Synonyms

Phrases

put forth;

Synonym Discussion of affirm

assert, declare, affirm, protest, avow mean to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection. assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence.

- asserted that modern music is just noise

declare stresses open or public statement.

- declared her support for the candidate

affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith.

- affirmed the existence of an afterlife

protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt.

- protested that he really had been misquoted

avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared.

- avowed that all investors would be repaid in full

AFFIRM Defined for English Language Learners

affirm

verb

Definition of affirm for English Language Learners

: to say that something is true in a confident way
: to show a strong belief in or dedication to (something, such as an important idea)
law : to decide that the judgment of another court is correct