confirm
/kənˈfəːm
/verb [with object]
1Establish the truth or correctness of (something previously believed or suspected to be the case): if these fears are confirmed, the outlook for the economy will be dire [with clause]: the report confirms that a diet rich in vitamin C can help to prevent cataracts...
- This apparently well conducted study also confirms the previously established benefits of antibiotics in reducing the duration of symptoms.
- This time, a female officer wanted to confirm the intruder had left the premises and asked for a description of him.
- Suspected scabies may be confirmed by microscopic identification of the mite or its feces in skin scrapings.
1.1 [reporting verb] State with assurance that a report or fact is true: [with clause]: he confirmed that the general was in the hands of the rebels [with direct speech]: ‘It is indeed proper coffee,’ I confirmed...
- It's true that nobody has confirmed, on the record, that the proposal is even under discussion.
- You focus on the fact that he neither confirms nor denies an imminent threat.
- So, as John suggests, why won't they simply put the matter to rest by confirming or denying the facts as set out in the memos?
Synonyms
affirm, reaffirm, assert, reassert, give an assurance, assure someone, repeat, say again, state again, pledge, promise, guarantee
1.2 (confirm someone in) Reinforce someone in (an opinion or feeling): he fuelled his misogyny by cultivating women who confirmed him in this view...
- This of course confirmed her in her opinion, for Grandpa's pride in his own awfulness was his distinguishing trait.
- Viewing the radiographic evidence confirmed him in the idea that he had arrived at.
- I think it likely that this further information confirmed him in his view that he must have it.
Synonyms
corroborate, bear out, verify, show the truth of, prove, validate, authenticate, substantiate, give substance to, justify, vouch for, vindicate, give credence to, support, uphold, back up
1.3Make (a provisional arrangement or appointment) definite: Mr Baker’s assistant telephoned to confirm his appointment with the chairman...
- We were told that the mortgage would be paid off within 10 years with a surplus bonus at current interest rates and received a letter confirming this arrangement.
- Passengers who have already made bookings have now been told to confirm their arrangements - or risk losing them.
- Yesterday I rang her to confirm the final arrangements for meeting up at the beginning of next week.
1.4Make (a decision or an agreement) formally valid: the organization has confirmed the appointment of Mr Collins as managing director...
- The sacrament of marriage is in this context at best a matter of romantic deference to tradition, confirming a decision already taken to ‘live together’.
- Secondly, there was no evidence called to indicate that the Board of Directors ever approved, ratified or confirmed any agreement.
- I thank her for confirming my decision and dismiss the matter from my mind.
Synonyms
ratify, validate, sanction, endorse, formalize, certify, underwrite, authorize, warrant, accredit, approve, recognize, agree to, consent to, accept
1.5Declare (someone) formally to be appointed to a particular post: he was confirmed as the new EC peace envoy...
- If, as we forecast on page one, he is confirmed as unpaid chairman, then the company's boss will at least bring some heavyweight experience to the group.
- My guess is that he expected to be cleared and didn't want to say anything until after he was confirmed as Secretary of State or Defense.
- He said that if he is confirmed as prime minister, he would first try to stymie the violence that has crippled the country's recovery.
2Administer the religious rite of confirmation to: he had been baptized and confirmed...
- Yet most Catholic parents will make practicing Catholicism mandatory for their children and the Church confirms young adults usually around 14.
- The Western Church confirms its members at various ages (commonly age 12-15 in Canada).
- As a child raised in France, she had been baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church, but abandoned its dogmas early on.
Derivatives
confirmative
/ adjective ...- A confirmative or staging arthroscopy may help matters further when dealing with large joints of the knee and shoulder.
- A Member shall produce any information (and confirmative evidence) which the Trustee reasonably requires for the purposes of the Scheme.
- Episodes that fulfilled the clinical and additional confirmative criteria for pneumonia but in which no microbial etiology was established were classified as probable pneumonia.
confirmatory
/ adjective ...- Samples have been sent to England for a confirmatory diagnosis.
- The 24-year-old Kildare rider has asked that the B sample taken from the horse in Athens be sent for confirmatory analysis.
- Yesterday I woke up to find that I could not connect to the old service, so assumed that, despite not getting a confirmatory email, I had now migrated.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French confermer, from Latin confirmare, from con- 'together' + firmare 'strengthen' (from firmus 'firm').
Rhymes
- commonly
- common market
- common metre
- common multiple
- commonness
- common noun
- common or garden
- commonplace
- commonplace book
- commonplaceness
- Common Pleas
- Common Prayer
- common property
- common rat
- common room
- commons
- common salt
- common seal
- common sense
- commonsensical
- Common Serjeant
- common soldier
- common stock
- common stocks
- common thread