An affiant is the individual who makes the sworn written statement contained in an affidavit and subscribes it with their signature. In ordinary notarial practice, this is the person who appears before the notary, takes an oath or affirmation, and signs or adopts the statement as true.
The New York booklet uses the term in its glossary and also reminds notaries that a valid oath requires personal appearance. A notary does not complete the job merely by asking whether the signature is genuine; the oath itself must actually be administered. That is why the word affiant points not just to the signer, but to the signer in their sworn capacity.
Practical note: New York materials sometimes treat deponent and affiant as close cousins, but “deponent” is more closely associated with testimony or a deposition setting, while “affiant” is the more familiar affidavit term.
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