Reaffirm

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹiːəˈfɜː(ɹ)m/

Definitions

1. To state again or confirm once more with conviction or certainty
2. To declare something once again, making clear its truth or correctness
3. To assert a belief or position anew, reinforcing its validity

Etymology: "Reaffirm" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "affirm." "Affirm" itself came into English in the late 1300s from Old French "afermer," which descended from Latin "affirmare," meaning "to make firm" or "to strengthen," built from "ad-" ("to") and "firmare" ("to make firm," from "firmus," "firm, steady"). So the core idea behind the word is simply making something firm. Adding "re-" produces the sense of making something firm again, which over time came to mean stating a position once more so that it stands firm. The prefix "re-" is itself an old Latin element, borrowed into English along with many verbs, so "reaffirm" is a fairly transparent formation. Its meaning has stayed close to its parts: to say again, with emphasis, that something you believe or have committed to still holds.

Synonyms: confirm, validate, reassert, reconfirm, endorse

Antonyms: deny, refute, disavow, reject, contradict