affirmative

 
Pronunciation: /əˈfəːmətɪv/

adjective

  • 1agreeing with or consenting to a statement or request: an affirmative answer
  • Grammar & Logic stating that a fact is so; making an assertion: affirmative sentencesContrasted with negative and interrogative.
  • (of a vote) expressing approval or agreement.
  • relating to or denoting proposed legislation which must receive a parliamentary vote in its favour before it can come into force: regulations under the Bill would be subject to the affirmative procedure
  • 2offering emotional support: the family is usually a source of encouragement from which affirmative influences come

noun

  • a statement of agreement with or consent to an assertion or request: he accepted her reply as an affirmative
  • Grammar a word used in making assertions or to express consent.
  • Logic a statement asserting that something is true of the subject of a proposition.
  • (the affirmative) a position of agreement or confirmation: his answer veered towards the affirmative

exclamation

chiefly North American
  • expressing agreement with or consent to a statement or request; yes.

Phrases

in the affirmative

so as to accept or agree to a statement or request: he answered the question in the affirmative

Derivatives

affirmatively

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'assertive, positive'): via Old French from late Latin affirmativus, from affirmare 'assert' (see affirm)