Lewis Short
(v. a.adv.adv.) : af-firmo (better adf-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.
* To present a thing in words, as fixed, firm, i. e. certain, true; to assert, maintain, aver, declare, asseverate, affirm: dicendum est mihi, sed ita, nihil ut adfirmem, quaeram omnia,Cic. Div. 2, 3; so id. Att. 13, 23; id. Brut. 1, 1: jure jurando,Liv. 29, 23: quidam plures Deo ortos adfirmant,Tac. G. 2; cf. id. Agr. 10: adfirmavit non daturum se,he protested that he would give nothing,Suet. Aug. 42.—Impers.: atque affirmatur,Tac. H. 2, 49.—Hence
* To give confirmation of the truth of a thing, to strengthen, to confirm, corroborate, sanction: adfirmare spem alicui,Liv. 1, 1: opinionem,id. 32, 35: dicta alicujus,id. 28, 2: aliquid auctoritate sua,id. 26, 24: populi Romani virtutem armis,Tac. H. 4, 73: secuta anceps valetudo iram Deūm adfirmavit,id. A. 14, 22.—Hence, * affirmanter (adf-), adv. (of the absol. P. a. affirmans), with assurance or certainty, assuredly: praedicere aliquid,Gell. 14, 1, 24; and: af-firmātē (adf-), adv. (of the absol. P. a. affirmatus), with asseveration, with assurance, certainly, assuredly, positively: quod adfirmate, quasi Deo teste promiserit, id tenendum est,Cic. Off. 3, 29.—Sup.: adfirmatissime scribere aliquid,Gell. 10, 12, 9.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary