affirm
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English 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 edit
- (General American) IPA(key): /əˈfɝm/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈfɜːm/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m
Verb edit
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.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 25:19:
- Jesus, […] whom Paul affirmed to be alive
- To support or encourage.
- They did everything they could to affirm the children's self-confidence.
- gender-affirming; trans-affirming (LGBTQ+)
- August 24 2021, Shon Faye, “‘I feel like it’s quite shaky acceptance’: trans kids and the fight for inclusion”, in The Guardian:
- Kate pointed out that these similarities between the various accounts of parents with trans children attracts criticism from those commentators who argue that trans children do not exist or should not be affirmed in their gender.
- 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.
- (law) To state under a solemn promise to tell the truth which is considered legally equivalent to an oath, especially of those who have religious or other moral objections to swearing oaths; also solemnly affirm.
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
- disaffirm
- deny (of 1,2)
- repudiate (of 2)
- invalidate (of 4)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
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 edit
Further reading edit
- “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.