Affidavit
//ˌæfɪˈdeɪvɪt// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A signed document wherein an affiant makes a sworn statement.
"He submitted his affidavit rather than appearing to testify in court."
- 2 written declaration made under oath; a written statement sworn to be true before someone legally authorized to administer an oath wordnet
Verb
- 1 To swear by such a document.
Example
More examples"I have to get an affidavit notarized at the consulate to prove that I'm eligible to be married and that I'm not getting married against my will."
Etymology
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).
Related phrases
More for "affidavit"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.