Affidavit Meaning
/ˌæfɪˈdeɪvɪt/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA signed document wherein an affiant makes a sworn statement.
verbTo swear by such a document.
Sentence Examples
Tom signed an affidavit.
Tom described the assault in an affidavit.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The witness signed an ____ to confirm his statement under oath in court.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He had to sign an ____ stating that his testimony was completely true.
Word Origin & History
From Medieval Latin affidavit (“he has sworn”), the third person singular perfect tense of affido (“swear”), from fīdō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to command, to persuade, to trust”). Cognate to fidelity and faith (same Latin root), but not to affirm (shared Latin ad- prefix, but different Latin and Proto-Indo-European roots).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Lee's case is urgent. He has to file an immediate affidavit that he is suffering from bubonic plague to avoid eviction from the house he has occupied ten years without paying the rent."
— 1962 [1959], William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch, New York: Grove Press, page 170:
"All lifters were certified by affidavit and polygraph to be steroid free."
— 1984 December 8, “Pressing Records”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 21, page 2:
"“Trump and Vance have knowingly spread a false and dangerous narrative by claiming that Springfield, Ohio’s Haitian community is criminally killing and eating neighbors’ dogs and cats, and killing and eating geese,” the affidavit reads."
— 2024 September 24, Adria R Walker, “Haitian immigrant group calls for arrest warrants for Trump and Vance in Ohio”, in The Guardian:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The witness signed an ____ to confirm his statement under oath in court.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He had to sign an ____ stating that his testimony was completely true.