yea

Meanings

1. 1adverbformalold-fashioned

   Used to say yes, especially when voting or agreeing formally in a meeting.

   Grammar: Stands alone as an answer or follows a verb such as vote; it is not used before a noun.

   Patterns

   • vote yea
   • say yea

   When the chairman asked who supported the plan, twelve members voted yea.

   The clerk called each name, and she answered 'Yea' in a firm voice.

2. 2nouncountableformal

   A vote in favor of something, or a person who votes in favor.

   Grammar: Countable: you can talk about one yea or several yeas, often in the phrase yeas and nays.

   Patterns

   • count the yeas
   • the yeas and the nays
   • a majority of yeas

   The yeas were twenty-three and the nays were ten, so the motion passed.

   Please record my yea in the minutes of the meeting.

3. 3adverbliteraryarchaic

   Used in older English to mean yes or indeed, often adding emphasis.

   Grammar: Appears in old books, poetry, and religious language rather than everyday modern speech.

   Yea, though the road was long, they never turned back.

   He promised, yea, he swore, that he would return before winter.

Word forms

Common combinations

yeas and nays

The chair asked the secretary to read out the yeas and nays.

vote yea

Three senators voted yea on the final bill.

a yea vote

Every yea vote was counted twice to be sure.

say yea

When your name is called, simply say yea or nay.

yea or nay

We need a clear yea or nay from each committee member.

Synonyms and how they differ

yes

The ordinary everyday word for agreeing; yea is limited to formal votes and old-fashioned speech.

aye

Also a formal vote in favor, but it is the usual word in British parliaments, while yea is common in American ones.

indeed

Adds emphasis rather than answering a question, so it fits only the old-fashioned emphatic use of yea.

Opposites

Word family

nay adverb

The matching negative vote word, used in the same formal settings.

Commonly confused: yea or yay? yea or yeah?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “yea”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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