affirm

verb af·firm \ ə-ˈfərm \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 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

—

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

It is shaped by the state, which has both affirmed and destroyed families over the years.

— sarah jaffe, The New Republic, "Family Values," 30 May 2018
Try to be extra affirming about those sensitivities. 2.

— brendan tapley, Woman's Day, "10 Things Men Wish Women Knew About Sex," 25 May 2018
But the end of the war, in 1815, affirmed U.S. sovereignty and undermined tribal security.

— anna diamond, Smithsonian, "How Come U.S. Currency Never Changes Its Face and More Questions From Our Readers," 25 May 2018
The Times provides even more details about the timeline, affirming that the informant spoke to campaign members only after the FBI learned of their dubious contacts with Russia.

— jay willis, GQ, "Spygate: How Right-Wing Media Creates a Conspiracy Theory Out of Thin Air," 23 May 2018
Furthermore, Medina has not affirmed nor corroborated Tadros' accusations.

— kat bein, Billboard, "The Gaslamp Killer Speaks Out Against Rape Allegation, Shares Court Documents From Defamation Lawsuit," 16 May 2018
Mulvaney, who is also the president’s budget director, has publicly affirmed his commitment to abiding by the letter of the law that created the bureau after the 2008 financial crisis.

— glenn thrush, BostonGlobe.com, "Mulvaney demotes unit that polices student loans," 9 May 2018
In season 2, Dear White People not only delivered on the Joelle episode but affirmed the problematic dynamic between the two women.

— refinery29.com, "Why This Dear White People Lesbian Narrative Is So Important," 8 May 2018
Trump and senior administration officials have affirmed the importance of controlling infectious disease outbreaks.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Bill Gates calls on US to lead fight against a pandemic that could kill 33 million," 27 Apr. 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