affirm, v.
(əˈfɜːm)
Forms: 4–5 aferm(e, 4–6 afferm(e, 6–7 affirme, 6– affirm.
[a. OFr. aferme-r, -ier:—L. affirmā-re, f. af- = ad- to + firmā-re to make firm, f. firm-us strong. In 16th c. the spelling was refashioned after the L., as Fr. affirmer, Eng. affirm.]
† 1. trans. To make firm; to strengthen; to confirm, to support (an institution, purpose, proposition). Obs.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 316 The pes þei suld afferme, for drede of hardere cas. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. v. 27 Ðan þai Welle afermyd hys cunnand. 1485 Caxton Chas. the Gt. 1 The cristen feyth is affermed and corrobered by the doctours of holy chyrche. 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. of M. Aurel. (1546) K k v, The goddis assure & affirme euerything. |
2. Law. To confirm or ratify (a judgment, law).
| c 1386 Chaucer Melib. 84 He consented to here counseilyng, and fully affermed here sentence. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 257 The lawe was confermed In due form and all affermed. 1628 Coke On Littleton i. iii. §32 (1633) 28/1 This iudgement was affirmed in a Writ of Error. 1825 J. Wilson Wks. 1855 I. 38 Well then—appeal to posterity..and posterity will affirm the judgement with costs. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 388 Twenty-three peers voted for reversing the judgment; thirty-five for affirming it. |
† 3. To confirm or maintain (a statement made by another); to maintain or stand to (a statement of one's own). Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 172 And alle tho Affermen that, which he hath tolde. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xx. 68 He shalle afferme my word, and sey as I seid. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, v. ii. 117, I said so, deare Katherine, and I must not blush to affirme it. 1611 Bible Acts xii. 15 But she constantly affirmed that it was euen so. 1670 Baxter Cure of Ch.-div. iii. Pref. §4 When one hath said it the rest will affirm it. |
4. Hence, To make a statement and stand to it; to maintain or assert strongly, to declare or state positively, to aver. Const. subord. clause, inf., simple obj.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. ii. 34, I dar wel affermen hardyly, þat ȝif þo þinges..hadde ben þine, þou ne haddest not lorn hem. 1382 Wyclif Wisd. Prol., Thys booc the Jewis afermen [1388 affermen] to ben of Filon. c 1400 Apol. for Loll. 29 It semiþ to me þat is foly to a ferme in þis case oiþer ȝie or nay. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xlvii. 501 Holy chirche afermeth also, How long King Mordreins lyvede þere. 1523 Ld. Berners Froissart I. ix. 8 For this that ye say and affirme me I thanke you a thousande tymes. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 43 Yet their owne Authors faithfully affirme, That the Land Salike is in Germanie. 1616 Purchas Pilgr. (1864) 2 None of credit.. hath affirmed himselfe to haue seene this Vnicorne, but in picture. 1702 Pope Jan. & May 160 Nay, if my Lord affirm'd that black was white, My word was this, your honour's in the right. 1850 Lynch Theoph. Trinal ii. 19 Let us often affirm the clearness that is in God. 1877 W. Lytteil Landmarks iii. i. 104 That such a report existed in Claudian's time cannot now be affirmed. |
b. absol.
| 1366 Mandeville xiv. (1839) 159 As thei beyonde the See seyn & affermen. 1382 Wyclif 1 Tim. i. 7 Not vndirstondinge..of what thingis thei affermen [Tindale, Genev., 1611 whereof they affirme]. 1657 Trapp Ezra i. 3 II. 4 Many there were—who affirmed deeply of being the people of God. 1667 Milton P.L. viii. 107 Not that I so affirm. |
c. To make a formal declaration or affirmation. Const. as in 4, and absol. See affirmation 5.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy xix. 7999 He affyrmit with faithe & with fyn chere, All þo couenaundes to kepe. 1424 Paston Lett. 4 I. 13 The seyd William..affermyd a pleynt of trespas. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Affirmation, Anno 1721, the following form was settled..I, A. B. do sincerely, solemnly, and truly, declare and affirm. 1863 Cox Inst. Eng. Govt. i. viii. 129 Quakers and others, now permitted by law to affirm instead of swearing. |
5. Logic and Gram., trans. and intr. To make a statement in the affirmative (as opposed to the negative). See affirmative A. 4, B. 1.
| 1581 Sidney Astrophel Wks. 1622. 552 For Grammer sayes..That in one speech two Negatiues affirme. 1628 T. Spencer Logick 172 An Axiome is Affirmed when the band of it is affirmed. 1870 Bowen Logic vii. 210 To affirm the Reason or the Condition is also to affirm the Consequent or the Conditioned; and to deny the Consequent is also to deny the Reason. |