SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

affirm

verb

To state positively that something is true or to express firm support for it.

Compare the alternatives Definition and examples

Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

State positively

Closest synonyms

assert declare avow aver maintain confirm

Related words and expressions

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Assert states a claim; confirm can suggest that earlier information has been checked.

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Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See affirm in use

The chair will affirm the committee's commitment to an open review.

Dictionary practice example.

When the club newsletter printed an unfinished photograph, editor Priya gave a frank account of the mistake instead of hiding behind vague references to the process. She could affirm that she had approved the layout, because her message appeared in the shared record.

From Responses to a Shared Mistake.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

WordNet 3.0: selected lexical senses

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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