Meaning & use

affirm

verb·Academic

To state something firmly and confidently as being true, or to formally confirm support for something.

See it in a sentence

The witness affirmed under oath that she had seen the entire incident clearly.

The court affirmed the lower ruling, leaving the original decision unchanged.

A note on using this word

In a legal context, to 'affirm' a ruling specifically means a higher court agrees with and upholds a previous decision.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “affirm”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.