noun, verb — 2 senses
/ˌæfɪˈdeɪvɪt/ · Philippines /-ævɪt/
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).
Law A signed document wherein an affiant makes a sworn statement.
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).
Law To swear by such a document.
Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.