affirmative

/əˈfʌrmədɪv/

/əˈfʌmətɪv/

Other forms: affirmatives

Something affirmative expresses agreement or approval, like the affirmative nod your mother gives you when you ask to be excused from the dinner table. A formal way of saying "Yes" is "Affirmative!"

Anything affirmative is approving of something: affirmative words support someone or something. Being affirmative is the opposite of being negative or contradicting. A pat on the back is affirmative so is a signature you need to complete a form. Also, you can use affirmative as a formal way of saying yes to something. This is common in the military. It might sound a little odd, but if your teacher asked, "Does 10 plus 10 equal 20?" you could answer, "Affirmative!"

Definitions of affirmative

1. adjective

   affirming or giving assent
   “an affirmative decision”

   “affirmative votes”

   synonyms: affirmatory

   assentient

   expressing agreement or consent

   favorable, favourable

   encouraging or approving or pleasing

   positive

   characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.

   antonyms:

   negative

   expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial

   dissentient, dissenting, dissident

   disagreeing, especially with a majority

   unfavorable, unfavourable

   not encouraging or approving or pleasing

   disinclined

   unwilling because of mild dislike or disapproval
2. adjective

   expressing or manifesting praise or approval
   “an affirmative nod”

   synonyms: approbative, approbatory, approving, plausive

   favorable, favourable

   encouraging or approving or pleasing
3. adjective

   expecting the best
   “an affirmative outlook”

   synonyms: optimistic

   positive

   characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
4. noun

   a reply of affirmation
   “he answered in the affirmative”

   antonyms:

   negative

   a reply of denial

   types:

   yes

   an affirmative

   yea

   an affirmative

   double negative

   an affirmative constructed from two negatives

   type of:

   affirmation, avouchment, avowal

   a statement asserting the existence or the truth of something