%firma%

n. [ Cf. OF. afermance. ] 1. Confirmation; ratification; confirmation of a voidable act. [ 1913 Webster ]

This statute . . . in affirmance of the common law. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strong declaration; affirmation. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affirmans, -antis, p. pr. See Affirm. ] 1. One who affirms or asserts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) One who affirms, instead of taking an oath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affirmatio: cf. F. affirmation. ] 1. Confirmation of anything established; ratification; as, the affirmation of a law. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of affirming or asserting as true; assertion; -- opposed to negation or denial. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is asserted; an assertion; a positive statement; an averment; as, an affirmation, by the vender, of title to property sold, or of its quality. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) A solemn declaration made under the penalties of perjury, by persons who conscientiously decline taking an oath, which declaration is in law equivalent to an oath. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

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; -- opposed to negative; as, an affirmative answer; an affirmative vote. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Positive; dogmatic. [ Obs. ] J. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lysicles was a little by the affirmative air of Crito. Berkeley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (logic) Expressing the agreement of the two terms of a proposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Alg.) Positive; -- a term applied to quantities which are to be added, and opposed to negative, or such as are to be subtracted. [ 1913 Webster ]

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, and ten in the negative. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether there are such beings or not, 't is sufficient for my purpose that many have believed the affirmative. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A word or phrase expressing affirmation or assent; as, yes, that is so, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a policy of making active efforts to improve the employment or educational opportunities available to members of minority groups or women; -- achieved by employers or schools by using various techniques, but excluding the use of simple quotas or outright discrimination against white males. affirmative action is required by law for certain employers in the United States. [ PJC ]

adv. In an affirmative manner; on the affirmative side of a question; in the affirmative; -- opposed to negatively. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Giving affirmation; assertive; affirmative. Massey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be confirmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Confirmation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. confirmation, L. confirmatio. ] 1. The act of confirming or strengthening; the act of establishing, ratifying, or sanctioning; as, the confirmation of an appointment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their blood is shed
In confirmation of the noblest claim. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which confirms; that which gives new strength or assurance; as to a statement or belief; additional evidence; proof; convincing testimony. [ 1913 Webster ]

Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eccl.) A rite supplemental to baptism, by which a person is admitted, through the laying on of the hands of a bishop, to the full privileges of the church, as in the Roman Catholic, the Episcopal Church, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

This ordinance is called confirmation, because they who duly receive it are confirmed or strengthened for the fulfillment of their Christian duties, by the grace therein bestowed upon them. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) A conveyance by which a voidable estate is made sure and not voidable, or by which a particular estate is increased; a contract, express or implied, by which a person makes that firm and binding which was before voidable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. confirmativus: cf. F. confirmatif. ] Tending to confirm or establish. Sherwood.

-- Con*firm"a*tive*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L. ] One who, or that which, confirms; a confirmer. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving to confirm; corroborative. [ 1913 Webster ]

A fact confirmatory of the conclusion. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to the rite of confirmation. Compton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of disaffirming; denial; negation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Overthrow or annulment by the decision of a superior tribunal; as, disaffirmance of judgment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of disaffirming; negation; refutation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. firmamentum, fr. firmare to make firm: cf. F. firmament. See Firm, v. & a. ] 1. Fixed foundation; established basis. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Custom is the . . . firmament of the law. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The region of the air; the sky or heavens. [ 1913 Webster ]

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Gen. i. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament. Gen. i. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In Scripture, the word denotes an expanse, a wide extent; the great arch or expanse over out heads, in which are placed the atmosphere and the clouds, and in which the stars appear to be placed, and are really seen. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Old Astron.) The orb of the fixed stars; the most remote of the celestial spheres. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to the firmament; celestial; being of the upper regions. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Firmans xex>or [ Pers. fermān. ] In Turkey and some other Oriental countries, a decree or mandate issued by the sovereign; a royal order or grant; -- generally given for special objects, as to a traveler to insure him protection and assistance. [ Written also firmaun. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person dwelling in, or having charge of, an infirmary, esp. in a monastic institution. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Infirmaries [ Cf. OE. fermerie, OF. enfermerie, F. infirmerie, LL. infirmaria. See Infirm. ] A hospital, or place where the infirm or sick are lodged and nursed gratuitously, or where out-patients are treated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. infirmatif. ] Weakening; annulling, or tending to make void. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An infirmary. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. [ L. obfirmatus, p. p. of obfirmare to make steadfast. See Ob-, and Firm, v. t. ] To make firm; to harden in resolution. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. Sheldon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. obfirmatio. ] Hardness of heart; obduracy. [ Obs. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]