Nearby Words

affirmative

[uh-fur-muh-tiv] Example Sentences Origin

af·firm·a·tive

[uh-fur-muh-tiv]
adjective
1.
affirming or assenting; asserting the truth, validity, or fact of something.
2.
expressing agreement or consent; assenting: an affirmative reply.
3.
positive; not negative.
4.
Logic. noting a proposition in which a property of a subject is affirmed, as “All men are happy.”
noun
5.
something that affirms or asserts; a positive statement or proposition; affirmation.
6.
a reply indicating assent, as Yes or I do.
7.
a manner or mode that indicates assent: a reply in the affirmative.
8.
the side, as in a debate, that affirms or defends a statement that the opposite side denies or attacks: to speak for the affirmative.

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Affirmative is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
interjection
9.
(used to indicate agreement, assent, etc.): “Is this the right way to Lake George?” “Affirmative.”

Origin:
1400–50; < Latin affirmātīvus, equivalent to affirmāt- (see affirmation) + -īvus -ive; replacing late Middle English affirmatyff < Middle French < Latin

af·firm·a·tive·ly, adverb
o·ver·af·firm·a·tive, adjective
o·ver·af·firm·a·tive·ly, adverb
pre·af·firm·a·tive, adjective
qua·si-af·firm·a·tive, adjective
EXPAND
qua·si-af·firm·a·tive·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To affirmative
Example Sentences
  • Federal Government have taken affirmative steps to insure equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.
  • Greensboro College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
  • The affirmative has it and the motion is adopted.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
affirmative (əˈfɜːmətɪv)
 
adj
1.  confirming or asserting something as true or valid: an affirmative statement
2.  indicating agreement or assent: an affirmative answer
3.  logic
 a.  (of a categorial proposition) affirming the satisfaction by the subject of the predicate, as in all birds have feathers; some men are married
 b.  Compare negative not containing negation
 
n
4.  a positive assertion
5.  a word or phrase stating agreement or assent, such as yes (esp in the phrase answer in the affirmative)
6.  logic an affirmative proposition
7.  chiefly (US), (Canadian) the affirmative the side in a debate that supports the proposition
 
sentence substitute
8.  military a signal codeword used to express assent or confirmation
 
af'firmatively
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

affirmative
c.1500, from Fr. affirmatif (13c.), from L. affirmativus, from pp. stem of affirmare (see affirm). Meaning "answering yes" is from c.1400, from use in logic. Affirmative action "positive effort by employers to prevent discrimination in hiring or promotion" is attested from
EXPAND
1935 with regard to labor practices; specific racial sense is from 1961; now often used more generally in ref. to hiring quotas, etc.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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