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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Affirm \Af*firm"\ ([a^]f*f[~e]rm"), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Affirmed} (-f[~e]rmd"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Affirming}.] [OE. affermen, OF. afermer, F. affirmer, affermir, fr. L. affirmare; ad + firmare to make firm, firmus firm. See {Firm}.]
1. To make firm; to confirm, or ratify; esp. (Law), to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order, brought before an appellate court for review.
2. To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true; -- opposed to {deny}.
Jesus, . . . whom Paul affirmed to be alive. --Acts xxv. 19.
3. (Law) To declare, as a fact, solemnly, under judicial sanction. See {Affirmation}, 4.
Syn: To assert; aver; declare; asseverate; assure; pronounce; protest; avouch; confirm; establish; ratify.
Usage: To {Affirm}, {Asseverate}, {Aver}, {Protest}. We affirm when we declare a thing as a fact or a proposition. We asseverate it in a peculiarly earnest manner, or with increased positiveness as what can not be disputed. We aver it, or formally declare it to be true, when we have positive knowledge of it. We protest in a more public manner and with the energy of perfect sincerity. People asseverate in order to produce a conviction of their veracity; they aver when they are peculiarly desirous to be believed; they protest when they wish to free themselves from imputations, or to produce a conviction of their innocence.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Affirm \Af*firm"\, verb (used without an object)
1. To declare or assert positively.
Not that I so affirm, though so it seem To thee, who hast thy dwelling here on earth. --Milton.
2. (Law) To make a solemn declaration, before an authorized magistrate or tribunal, under the penalties of perjury; to testify by affirmation.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
affirm
verb
1: establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant" [syn: {confirm}, {corroborate}, {sustain}, {substantiate}, {support}] [ant: {negate}]
2: to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before God I swear I am innocent" [syn: {verify}, {assert}, {avow}, {aver}, {swan}, {swear}]
3: say yes to
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
122 Moby Thesaurus words for "affirm": OK, accept, accredit, acknowledge, allege, amen, announce, annunciate, approve, argue, assert, assever, asseverate, attest, authenticate, authorize, autograph, aver, avouch, avow, back, back up, bear out, bear witness, bolster, buttress, certify, circumstantiate, confess, confirm, contend, corroborate, cosign, countersign, declare, declare roundly, depone, depose, disclose, document, endorse, enunciate, express, express the belief, fortify, give evidence, give notice, give permission, give the go-ahead, give the imprimatur, give thumbs up, guarantee, have, hold, initial, insist, issue a manifesto, issue a statement, lay down, maintain, make a statement, make an announcement, manifesto, notarize, nuncupate, pass, pass on, pass upon, permit, predicate, probate, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, prove, publish a manifesto, put, put it, quote, ratify, recite, reinforce, relate, report, rubber stamp, sanction, say, say amen to, seal, second, set down, sign, sign and seal, speak, speak out, speak up, stand for, stand on, state, strengthen, submit, subscribe to, substantiate, support, sustain, swear, swear and affirm, swear to, testify, undergird, undersign, underwrite, uphold, validate, verify, visa, vise, vouch, vow, warrant, witness
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