Affidavit Definition

ăfĭ-dāvĭt
affidavits
noun
A written declaration made under oath before a notary public or other authorized officer.
American Heritage
A written statement given voluntarily and sworn to before a person authorized to administer oaths.
Webster's New World

A voluntary and written ex parte statement of facts signed and the truth of its content affirmed or sworn to by the declarant before a notary public or another officer authorized to administer oaths. See also affirmation.

Webster's New World Law

(law) A signed document wherein an affiant makes a sworn statement.

He submitted his affidavit rather than appearing to testify in court.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Affidavit

Noun

Singular:
affidavit
Plural:
affidavits

Origin of Affidavit

  • From Medieval Latin affidavit (“he has sworn”), the third person singular perfect tense of affido (“swear”), from fīdō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰidʰ-, zero-grade of 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).

    From Wiktionary

  • Medieval Latin affīdāvit from third person sing. perfect tense of affīdāre to pledge affiance

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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