A written statement that someone swears is true, usually signed in front of an official and used in legal situations. It is treated like spoken testimony in court.
From Medieval Latin *affidavit* meaning “he has sworn,” from *affidare* “to pledge, to trust,” built from *ad-* “to” and *fidere* “to trust.” It entered English through legal language.
An affidavit isn’t just a document; it’s a written promise under oath that what you say is true. Courts treat it seriously because lying in an affidavit is like lying on the witness stand—both can be a crime.
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