Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Asserting that something is true or correct, as with the answer "yes”: an affirmative reply.
- adj. Giving assent or approval; confirming: an affirmative vote.
- adj. Positive; optimistic: an affirmative outlook.
- adj. Logic Of, relating to, or being a proposition in which the predicate affirms something about the subject, such as the statement apples have seeds.
- n. A word or statement of agreement or assent, such as the word yes.
- n. The side in a debate that upholds the proposition: Her team will speak for the affirmative.
- adv. Informal Used in place of the response "yes” to express confirmation or consent.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Characterized by affirmation or assertion; assertive; positive in form; not negative: as, an affirmative proposition; affirmative principles. In formal logic, the distinction of affirmative and negative propositions relates not to the nature of what is asserted, but only to the form of the proposition, which is called affirmative if it contains no negative particle.
- Hence Positive in manner; confident; dogmatic.
- Giving affirmation or assent; confirmatory; ratifying; concurring; agreeing: as, an affirmative decree or judgment by an appellate court; an affirmative answer to a request.
- n. That which affirms or asserts; a positive proposition or averment: as, two negatives make an affirmative.
- n. That which gives affirmation or assent; the agreeing or concurring part or side: with the definite article: as, to support the affirmative; to vote in the affirmative (that is, in favor of the affirmative side), as in a legislative body.
- n. In judicial proceedings, the side which, whether in itself an affirmation or a negation, requires first to be supported by proof, presumption in the absence of proof being against it; the side which has the burden of proof.
- n. Nautical, the signal-flag or pendant by which assent is expressed.
Wiktionary
- adj. pertaining to truth; asserting that something is
- adj. pertaining to any assertion or active confirmation that favors a particular result
- adj. positive
- n. Yes; an answer that shows agreement or acceptance.
- n. An answer that shows agreement or acceptance.
- n. An assertion.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Confirmative; ratifying.
- adj. That affirms; asserting that the fact is so; declaratory of what exists; answering “yes” to a question; -- opposed to
negative - adj. Positive; dogmatic.
- adj. Expressing the agreement of the two terms of a proposition.
- adj. Positive; -- a term applied to quantities which are to be added, and opposed to
negative , or such as are to be subtracted. - n. That which affirms as opposed to that which denies; an affirmative proposition; that side of question which affirms or maintains the proposition stated; -- opposed to
negative . - n. A word or phrase expressing affirmation or assent
WordNet 3.0
- n. a reply of affirmation
- adj. expressing or manifesting praise or approval
- adj. affirming or giving assent
- adj. expecting the best
Examples
“Over the last decade, the term "affirmative action" has become more controversial than the actual racial and gender inequities it was originally designed to address.”
The Huffington Post: Christine Bork: Dispelling Myths About Affirmative Action
“Since the term "affirmative action" was first used in Executive Order 10925, signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the word and the idea behind it has sparked debate -- which still continues today.”
The Huffington Post: Christine Bork: Dispelling Myths About Affirmative Action
“Increasingly over the years, and compounded in the Bush Administration, the term affirmative action has been demonized.”
Paula B. Mays: McCain-Palin And The Death Of Affirmative Action
“Mr. CONNERLY: I think society imposes that restraint on us, and that's why I'm so offended by the term affirmative a-- African-American, because it's so loosely applied.”
“The term affirmative action had also been avoided, as it was just one of the components of addressing inequality in the labour market.”
“A worrying observation was that there is no understanding of the term affirmative action.”
“Human Resources Manager of the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce, said the term affirmative action was better defined by the”
“I've recently seen some writing tracing the term affirmative action back to its common law origins in talking about the obligation of institutions to take certain steps, that a chancellor might order someone to do affirmative action to remedy some wrong or something like that.”
“Despite his tough stand on illegal immigration, he would encourage the integration of France's Muslims into the economic mainstream with "positive discrimination" (euphemism for a measure long opposed by the French, which we call affirmative action).”
“Listen, that's what we call affirmative action, right?”
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