affirmative

affirmative
affirmative (adj.) "answering 'yes,'" mid-15c., from use in logic; from M.Fr. affirmatif (13c.), from L. affirmativus, from affirmat-, pp. stem of affirmare (see AFFIRM (Cf. affirm)). As a noun from early 15c. Affirmative action "positive or corrective effort by employers to prevent discrimination in hiring or promotion" is attested from 1935 with regard to labor unions; specific racial sense is from 1961; now often used more generally in reference to hiring quotas, etc.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • affirmative — af·fir·ma·tive /ə fər mə tiv/ adj 1: asserting the existence of certain facts esp. in support of a cause of action affirmative proof 2: resulting from an intentional act affirmative concealment 3: involving or requiring application of effort …   Law dictionary

  • affirmative — affirmative, positive cause difficulties in their extended use, since each term has negative for its opposite and since both words may qualify identical or similar nouns. The distinctions are not clearly fixed, but tendencies in usage may be… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • affirmative — [ə fʉrm′ə tiv] adj. [ME affirmatif < L affirmativus < affirmare, AFFIRM] 1. saying that something stated is true; answering “yes” [an affirmative reply] 2. a) bold or confident in asserting [affirmative people] b) optimistic or hopeful; not …   English World dictionary

  • affirmative — AFFIRMATIVE. s. f. Proposition par laquelle on affirme. Ils sont toujours d avis différens; jamais l un ne nie une chose, que l autre ne prenne l affirmative. Sur l expédient qu on proposa, les uns surent pour l affirmative, les autres pour la… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • Affirmative — Af*firm a*tive, a. [L. affirmativus: cf. F. affirmatif.] 1. Confirmative; ratifying; as, an act affirmative of common law. [1913 Webster] 2. That affirms; asserting that the fact is so; declaratory of what exists; answering yes to a question;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Affirmative — Af*firm a*tive, n. 1. 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}; as, there were forty votes in the affirmative,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • affirmative — ● affirmative nom féminin Énoncé par lequel on affirme ou approuve quelque chose : Répondre par l affirmative. ● affirmatif, affirmative (synonymes) adjectif (bas latin affirmativus) Qui marque l affirmation , l approbation Synonymes : positif… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Affirmative — can mean: *Pertaining to truth *Pertaining to an assertion *An answer that shows agreement or acceptance: see yes *Affirmative (policy debate), the team which affirms the resolutionee also*Affirmation (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • affirmative — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ agreeing with or consenting to a statement or request. ► NOUN ▪ an affirmative statement or word. ► EXCLAMATION chiefly N. Amer. ▪ yes. DERIVATIVES affirmatively adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • affirmative — [adj] being agreeable or assenting acknowledging, acquiescent, affirmatory, affirming, approving, complying, concurring, confirmative, confirmatory, confirming, consenting, corroborative, endorsing, favorable, positive, ratifying, supporting;… …   New thesaurus

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