assert
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm; aver.
He asserted his innocence of the crime.
- Synonyms:
- maintain, avow, asseverate
- Antonyms:
- deny
-
to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.).
-
to state as having existence; affirm; postulate.
to assert a first cause as necessary.
idioms
verb
-
to insist upon (rights, claims, etc)
-
(may take a clause as object) to state to be true; declare categorically
-
to put (oneself) forward in an insistent manner
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- asserter noun
- assertible adjective
- assertor noun
- misassert verb (used with object)
- overassert verb (used with object)
- preassert verb (used with object)
- reassert verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of assert
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin assertus “joined to, defended, claimed,” past participle of asserere “to join to, defend,” from as- as- + serere “to connect” ( series )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The case originated with teachers who were trying to assert such a right.
From Los Angeles Times
Marc Steinberg, a partner at the firm and a member of Pinterest’s board, asserted Tuesday that Elliott had “strong conviction in the company’s trajectory.”
From Barron's
AI programmes have vastly simplified tasks in the workplace but generative AI systems are known for their ability to "hallucinate" and assert falsehoods as fact, even sometimes inventing sources for the inaccurate information.
From BBC
She understands the sacrifices families made to get to the United States, she said, asserting that she owes those families “that same level of energy and grit and determination.”
From Salon
“Those taxpayers are left to defend their tax returns when the government suddenly appears unannounced, out of nowhere, asserting massive tax liabilities from decades earlier,” the filing said.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
