affirmed

Affirmed is the past tense and past participle of the verb affirm, meaning to state as true or to support a proposition. It can also function as an adjective meaning confirmed or asserted. The word derives from Latin affirmare, from ad- “to” + firmus “firm.”

In ordinary use, affirmed indicates that a claim, belief, or decision has been declared true or established. Examples include statements like “She affirmed her responsibility” or “The committee affirmed the proposal.” In legal and formal contexts, the term often appears in discussions of decisions, orders, or findings that are upheld or confirmed rather than overturned.

Legal usage commonly centers on appellate procedure. When a court affirms a lower court’s decision, it upholds it, leaving the judgment in place. Conversely, a court that reverses or vacates a decision does not affirm it. The phrasing “the judgment is affirmed” is a standard way to indicate approval of the ruling on appeal.

Notable uses include the name of Affirmed, an American Thoroughbred who won the Triple Crown in 1978, renowned for his rivalry with Alydar.

Related terms include affirmation and confirmation, which convey similar notions of asserting truth or ratifying a decision, though they appear in somewhat different grammatical or formal contexts.