Affirm
[ə-FURM]
Part of speech: verb
Origin: French, 14th century
1.
State as a fact; assert strongly and publicly.
Examples of Affirm in a sentence
"The company’s headquarters affirmed the new vacation policies put into place by the Michigan office."
"My sister affirmed that she had been studying at the library all night and couldn’t possibly have had a party."
About Affirm
“Affirm” is based on the Middle English word “affermen,” meaning “to decide upon,” as well as the Old French “afermer,” meaning “to make firm.” That word is based on the Latin “affirmāre,” meaning “to strengthen.”
Did you Know?
“Affirm” and “confirm” are very similar words, and their Latin roots are likewise similar — both “affirmāre” and “confirmāre” (the Latin root of “confirm”) mean “to make firm.” The two terms can be used in similar situations, too, such as judging something to be valid; however, their crucial difference is that “affirm” can also be used to describe the action of declaring or saying something positively. By contrast, “confirm” has a second meaning in which it provides proof that something — such as a statement or an official document — is valid. Someone in court might be asked to affirm that they confirmed the validity of a signature.
