affirm

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”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /əˈfɝm/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈfɜːm/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m

affirm (third-person singular simple present affirms, present participle affirming, simple past and past participle affirmed)

1. To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively.

   She affirmed that she would go when I asked her.

2. 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

   • 2024 August 21, Peter Plisner, “The changing role of our railway stations”, in RAIL, number 1016, page 62:

     However, as anyone who knew Adrian Shooter would affirm, he very rarely took no for an answer.

3. To support or encourage.

   gender-affirming; trans-affirming (LGBTQ+)

   They did everything they could to affirm the children's self-confidence.

   • 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.

4. 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.
5. (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.

• validate

• disaffirm
• deny (of 1,2)
• repudiate (of 2)
• invalidate (of 4)

• affirmation
• affirmative

• affirmative action
• confirm

• “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.