affirm

In a legal context, ‘affirm’ generally means to confirm or ratify, although there are several related usages of the term. 

Typical uses of this word include:

• An appellate court can affirm a previous ruling from a lower court, meaning it agrees with the lower court’s ruling with respect to the issues on appeal. This is also referred to as “upholding” the previous court’s decision.
• Courts, administrative boards, and other similar bodies have used 'affirm' to mean 'approve.'
  • In the case Leopold v. Civil Service Commission, one party argued that a previous court decision about a statute should not be “upheld” because it “affirmed” instead of “approved” an action. The Court determined that these two words conveyed nearly identical meanings in that context.
• Affirm can also be used when swearing an oath to agree with the content of the oath.
  • Government officials and witnesses in civil or criminal trials are examples of persons who may affirm an oath. This is true, for instance, of the oath of office of U.S. Senators.

[Last reviewed in February of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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