different between asseverate vs confirm

English

Etymology

From Latin assev?r?re, from assev?r? (“I assert”).

Verb

asseverate (third-person singular simple present asseverates, present participle asseverating, simple past and past participle asseverated)

1. (transitive) To declare earnestly, seriously, or positively; to affirm.
   • 1642, Sir Richard Gurney, 1st Baronet, The Lord Maior of Londons Letter to the King at Yorke, June 22, London,^[1]

     Whereas Your Maiesty hath received true information of great sums of Money endeavoured to be borrowed of Your City of London, by directions proceeding from both Houses of Parliament […] (I Your Maiesties faithfull Subiect) doe conceive, and dare asseverate, that it is intended upon no other pretence then for the Honour and defence of Your Maiesty,

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 2, Book 10, Chapter 7, p. 261,^[2]

     I will myself asseverate and bind it by an Oath, that the Muff thou bearest in thy Hand belonged unto Madam Sophia;

   • 1818, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable, Volume 1, Chapter 9, p. 195-196,^[3]

     “And I presume you can also asseverate to his worship, that no man is better qualified than I am to bear testimony in this case, seeing that I was by you, and near you, constantly during the whole occurrence?”

   • 1931, H. P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in Darkness, chapter 1:

     The more I laughed at such theories, the more these stubborn friends asseverated them; adding that even without the heritage of legend the recent reports were too clear, consistent, detailed, and sanely prosaic in manner of telling, to be completely ignored.

   • 1971, Iris Murdoch, The Accidental Man, New York: Viking, p. 31,^[4]

     A time would come, Mr. Secombe-Hughes mysteriously asseverated, when all would be well and she would get her money.

Derived terms

• asseverative

Related terms

• asseveration

Translations

Italian

Verb

asseverate

1. second-person plural present indicative of asseverare
2. second-person plural imperative of asseverare

Participle

asseverate

1. feminine plural of the past participle of asseverare

Latin

Pronunciation

• assev?r?t?: (Classical) IPA^(key): /as.se.u?e??ra?.te?/, [äs???u?e???ä?t?e?]
• assev?r?t?: (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /as.se.ve?ra.te/, [?s??v?????t??]
• assev?r?te: (Classical) IPA^(key): /as.se.u?e??ra?.te/, [äs???u?e???ä?t??]
• assev?r?te: (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /as.se.ve?ra.te/, [?s??v?????t??]

Adverb

assev?r?t? (not comparable)

1. earnestly, emphatically

Alternative forms

• adsev?r?t?

Verb

assev?r?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of assev?r?

References

• asseverate in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

English

Alternative forms

• confirme (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English confirmen, confermen, from Old French confermer, from Latin confirm?re (“to make firm, strenghten, establish”), from com- (“together”) + firmare (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k?n?f??m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /k?n?f?m/
• Rhymes: -??(?)m
• Hyphenation: con?firm

Verb

confirm (third-person singular simple present confirms, present participle confirming, simple past and past participle confirmed)

1. To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
2. (transitive, Christianity) To administer the sacrament of confirmation on (someone).
   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 35:

     Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, was baptized and confirmed at the age of three days.

3. To assure the accuracy of previous statements.

Synonyms

• (strengthen): See also Thesaurus:strengthen

Antonyms

• infirm
• disconfirm
• deny
• dispute
• contradict
• question

Related terms

• confirmability
• confirmation

Translations

See also

• verify
• corroborate
• establish
• prove

Further reading

• confirm in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• confirm in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• confirm at OneLook Dictionary Search