Affirmative

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /əˈfɜːmətɪv/

Definitions

1. Expressing agreement, consent, or a positive response to a question or statement
2. Indicating confirmation or support for a proposal, motion, or assertion in formal proceedings or discussions
3. Conveying a "yes" answer or constructive stance rather than denial or negation

Etymology: Latin "affirmare" meant "to assert" or "to make firm," built from "ad" ("to") and "firmare" ("to make strong or steady," from "firmus," firm). To affirm was, at root, to make something firm, so a statement that was affirmed had been fixed in place. The Latin adjective "affirmativus" carried that sense of asserting something positively, as opposed to denying it. The word reached English through Old French "affirmatif" and entered Middle English in the form "affirmative," where it was used of statements and answers that said yes. Its noun use, meaning a word or vote that answers yes, developed from the adjective, which is why the same term now works both as a description of a motion or proposal and as the answer itself, as in "the affirmatives won the vote."

Synonyms: positive, agreeable, supportive, pro, yes

Antonyms: negative, disagreeable, contrary, no