Pronunciation: uh-FURMD
When an appellate court agrees with the decision of a lower court, we say the decision has been “affirmed.”
Antonym (or opposite): “reversed” or “vacated”. If a court disagrees with a lower court decision, we say it has reversed or vacated the lower court’s decision.
Sample Sentences
- On appeal, the Circuit Court affirmed the decision of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,
- Agreeing with the trial court’s decision in part, the Appellate Division affirmed in part and reversed in part the judge’s decision to grant summary judgment.
In plain English, to affirm is to agree or to validate someone’s opinion.
