affidavit
af-ih-DAY-vit
/ˌæf.ɪˈdeɪ.vɪt/
A written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation, for use as evidence in court.
An affidavit is strictly a written instrument signed in front of an authorized official (like a notary public).
The story behind the word. In Medieval Latin court records, clerks wrote 'affidavit' at the top of a document to declare 'he has pledged his faith'. It comes from 'ad-' (to) and 'fidare' (to trust/pledge faith, from 'fides'). It literally meant that the signer pledged their faith under oath.
Word relationships
- sworn statement: Sworn statement is a general term, whereas an affidavit is a specific legal document executed before an authorized officer.
- deposition: A deposition involves recorded out-of-court question-and-answer questioning, while an affidavit is a written statement.
- unsworn declaration: An unsworn declaration lacks the formal oath administered before a legal officer.
Commonly confused with
- deposition: An affidavit is a written sworn declaration, while a deposition is formal out-of-court oral questioning recorded by a court reporter.
Collocations
- sworn affidavit
- submit an affidavit
- sign an affidavit
- notarized affidavit
Example sentences
- "The defense attorney submitted a signed affidavit from the landlord confirming the tenant's whereabouts." Pre-trial motion
Memory hook
AFFIDAVIT: AFFI-DAVY pledged his faith on paper! Pledged faith in writing.
When not to use
Do not use 'affidavit' to describe oral testimony spoken in a courtroom witness stand.
Fun facts
- 'Affidavit' is one of the few Latin third-person singular perfect tense verbs that became an everyday English noun without changing its form.
Related words
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