aye

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“Aye” is an affirmative response that could be used as an exclamation, a noun, or an adverb.

  • If used as an exclamation, "aye" has the same meaning as “yes,” which expresses assent to something.
    • For example, one could use it as “aye, this is how you should do it.”
  • If used as a noun, then it expresses an affirmative answer or assent, especially in voting. In voting, “aye” means a vote to support a law, suggestion, idea, etc, or a person votes yes.”
    • For example, “the House divided: Ayes, 127; Noes, 3.” A case example is People ex rel. Smith v. Wabash Ry. Co., in which the court held that the people who are in favor of adopting the ordinance should vote “aye.”
  • If used as an adverb, it means always, continually, ever.

See also: Yea and Nay.

[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]