affirmative
gb/əfˈɚmɪtɪv/ us/əfˈɚmɪtɪv/
B1
Inglés
~ 9500
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
B2
property
1
expressing agreement or a yes answer
Showing that you agree or that your answer is yes.
Patrón de uso:
an affirmative [answer/reply/response]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use *affirmative* to mean 'happy' or 'hopeful', confusing it with 'positive' in the emotional sense. *Affirmative* is mainly used about answers, responses, and decisions, not about a person’s mood.
Sinónimos
positive (Commonly used in the phrase 'positive answer/response' with a similar formal tone.)
|
agreeing (Focuses more on the person’s attitude than on the specific answer.)
|
yes (A direct one-word reply, less formal and usually not used before a noun.)
Antónimos
negative (Standard opposite for answers, as in a 'negative reply'.)
|
noncommittal (Opposite in the sense of not clearly saying yes or no.)
Colocaciones
affirmative answer
|affirmative response
|affirmative reply
|give an affirmative
|clear affirmative
|resoundingly affirmative
Temas
communication
|meetings
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The committee gave an affirmative answer to our proposal.
- Her reply was brief but clearly affirmative.
- We need an affirmative response from all team members before we move forward.
- The survey results were overwhelmingly affirmative about the new policy.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- His answer was affirmative, not negative.
- She gave an affirmative response to the job offer.
- We are waiting for an affirmative reply from the school.
Sustantivo
formal
C1
entity
2
a yes answer or agreement
A word or action that means 'yes'.
Patrón de uso:
answer [in] the affirmative
Error frecuente:
Learners may say *“in the yes”* instead of the fixed phrase *“in the affirmative”*. In formal speaking and writing, use *“answer in the affirmative”* to mean *“answer yes”*.
Sinónimos
yes (Less formal and usually used directly as a reply, not inside set phrases like 'in the affirmative'.)
|
assent (More formal and often used for official or written agreement.)
Antónimos
negative (Used in the parallel phrase 'in the negative' for a no answer.)
|
refusal (Highlights active rejection, not just a simple 'no'.)
Colocaciones
in the affirmative
|a clear affirmative
|receive an affirmative
|give an affirmative
|nod an affirmative
Temas
communication
|formal
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- When asked if he accepted the terms, he replied in the affirmative.
- A simple affirmative would have been enough to close the deal.
- The chair looked around the room, received several affirmatives, and moved on to the next item.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The students answered in the affirmative.
- He gave a firm affirmative to the question.
- One nod from her was a clear affirmative.
adjective
formal
B2
property
3
supporting or promoting something
Showing strong support for something, often to help a group or change a situation.
Patrón de uso:
affirmative [action/steps/policies/measures]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this sense with the basic 'yes' meaning and try to use it after a verb, e.g. *“I affirmative your idea”*. In this sense, *affirmative* is used before nouns like *steps, policies, action*, not as a verb.
Sinónimos
supportive (Focuses on emotional or practical support, not always on policy or rights.)
|
proactive (Stresses taking action in advance; overlaps when describing planned positive change.)
|
favorable (Emphasizes approval, but not always active, structured support.)
Antónimos
oppositional (Describes policies or attitudes that resist or fight against something.)
|
obstructive (Highlights blocking or slowing progress instead of promoting it.)
Colocaciones
affirmative action
|affirmative policies
|affirmative steps
|affirmative measures
|affirmative agenda
|affirmative program
Temas
politics
|society
|relationships
Ejemplos
- The company introduced affirmative policies to increase diversity in senior roles.
- These affirmative steps are meant to support students from underrepresented backgrounds.
- The report calls for more affirmative measures to protect tenants’ rights.
- Her work focuses on designing affirmative programs for marginalized communities.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The government took affirmative steps to help poor families.
- We need more affirmative policies to support disabled workers.
- The school is planning affirmative programs for first-generation students.
adjective
technical
B1
property
4
positive, not negative, statement
In grammar and logic, describing a sentence or statement that says something is true, not that it is not true.
Patrón de uso:
an affirmative [sentence/statement/proposition]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes think *affirmative sentence* means a sentence with a 'good' or 'positive' meaning. In grammar, *affirmative* only means that the sentence is not negative (it does not use 'not' or another negative word).
Sinónimos
positive (Used in the same technical contrast with 'negative', but also widely used in everyday, non-technical contexts.)
Antónimos
negative (The standard technical opposite in grammar and logic, as in 'negative sentence'.)
Colocaciones
affirmative sentence
|affirmative statement
|affirmative clause
|affirmative form
|affirmative proposition
Temas
language
|logic
|education
|communication
Ejemplos
- In this exercise, change each question into an affirmative sentence.
- The teacher asked the class to give both affirmative and negative forms of the verb.
- In logic, an affirmative proposition asserts that a relationship exists between two terms.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- ‘She likes coffee’ is an affirmative sentence.
- Please write three negative sentences and three affirmative sentences.
- The affirmative form does not use 'not'.
Sustantivo
formal
C1
entity
5
supporting side in a debate
In a debate or vote, the side that says the proposal is good and should be accepted.
Patrón de uso:
the affirmative [argues/wins/votes]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think *affirmative* here means just 'yes'. In debate contexts, *the affirmative* is a label for the whole side or team that supports the motion, not a single answer.
Sinónimos
pro side (Informal debate term that clearly opposes the 'con side'.)
|
supporting side (Everyday phrasing that explains the role without debate jargon.)
Antónimos
the negative (Traditional debate term for the side arguing against the proposal.)
|
opposition (Broader term for those who are against an idea or proposal.)
Colocaciones
the affirmative
|speak for the affirmative
|argue for the affirmative
|vote for the affirmative
|the affirmative side
Temas
education
|politics
|communication
Ejemplos
- In this round, the affirmative must prove that the policy will be effective.
- The judges decided that the affirmative presented a stronger case.
- She volunteered to speak for the affirmative in the school debate.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The affirmative supports the motion.
- Our team is on the affirmative in this debate.
- The affirmative won because their arguments were clear.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
affirmative
AFI
GB/əfˈɚmɪtɪv/
US/əfˈɚmɪtɪv/
Sílabas y acento
af - firm - at - ive (4 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (firm)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: affirmative
Noun
- Base: affirmative
- Plural: affirmatives
Familia de palabras
Forms
affirmatives
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
negative
adjective B1
negatively
adverb B1
Advanced or less common
reaffirm
verb B2
reaffirmation
noun
Expresiones
affirmative action
1/əfˈɚmɪtɪv ˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
policies favoring disadvantaged groups
Government or company policies that give extra help or preference to groups who have been treated unfairly in the past, especially in jobs and education.
Ejemplos
- The university has an affirmative action program to increase diversity among its students.
- Debates about affirmative action often focus on fairness and equal opportunity.
affirmative consent
1/əfˈɚmɪtɪv kənsˈɛnt/
fixed phrase
clear, active agreement as consent
Clear and active agreement, often spoken, that shows a person really wants to do something, especially in sexual situations.
Ejemplos
- Their policy requires affirmative consent for all sexual activity.
- Workshops on campus now focus on teaching students what affirmative consent means.
affirmative defense
1/əfˈɚmɪtɪv dɪfˈɛns/
fixed phrase
technical
legal defense that avoids liability
In law, a kind of defense where the person says the basic facts are true but gives a special reason why they should not be found guilty or responsible.
Ejemplos
- The lawyer raised an affirmative defense, claiming self-defense.
- Insanity is sometimes used as an affirmative defense in criminal cases.
in the affirmative
1/ˈɪn ðə əfˈɚmɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
formal
with a yes answer
As a formal way to say that someone answered 'yes'.
Ejemplos
- When asked whether he accepted the offer, he replied in the affirmative.
- Most participants answered in the affirmative when asked if they trusted the system.