AFFIRMATIVE Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

affirmative

noun

Definition of affirmative

as in approval

a vote or decision for something we have five affirmatives and two negatives for forming the committee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of affirmative Howard asked Nuñez, to which the FBI agent answered in the affirmative. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026 When asked if Brooks, who is coming off the second ACL surgery of his young career, would be available for the offseason program, Canales answered in the affirmative. — Mike Kaye march 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026 Lue replied when a reporter answered in the affirmative. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026 Deputy Superintendent Derald Davis answered in the affirmative and added that administrative support is being given to those staff members and/or the school site. — Connye Griffin, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for affirmative

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affirmative

Noun

Jolly replaced him and, within two months, secured Moreno’s approval to hire the architect of a World Series championship team to figure out what was not right in the organization, and to fix it.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
One reason ibogaine has struggled to win approval in the past is a lack of financial incentive, Barsuglia said.

— Gavin Escott, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of approval

Noun

With Ancelotti on the sideline, there may be more begrudging acceptance of that this time.

— Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Plus, regulatory acceptance, industry validation, and real-world testing will determine how widely such systems can be deployed in safety-critical environments.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026

Definition of acceptance

Noun

Hughes said the answer to that last question is a resounding yes.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
The nine yes votes came from Pickren, LJ Francis, Will Hickman, Audrey Young, Keven Ellis, Tom Maynard, Hall, Pam Little and Aaron Kinsey.

— Rachel Royster. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026

Definition of yes

Browse Nearby Words

affirmations

affirmative

affirmatives

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Affirmative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affirmative. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of affirmative

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on affirmative

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bibelot

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes