What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
affirmative
Example
The team gave an affirmative response to the proposal. [affirmative: adjective]
Example
She nodded her head in the affirmative to confirm her agreement. [affirmative: noun]
confirmatory
Example
The confirmatory test showed that the initial diagnosis was correct. [confirmatory: adjective]
Example
Her statement was confirmatory of what the witness had said earlier. [confirmatory: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Affirmative is more common in everyday language than confirmatory, which is more technical and specific to certain fields such as science or medicine.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between affirmative and confirmatory?
Confirmatory is generally more formal than affirmative, as it is often used in technical or scientific contexts where precision and accuracy are important.
