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View synonyms for assert

assert

[ uh-surt ]

verb (used with object)

  1. 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

  2. to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.).

    Synonyms: support, uphold

  3. to state as having existence; affirm; postulate:

    to assert a first cause as necessary.



assert

/ əˈsɜːt /

verb

  1. to insist upon (rights, claims, etc)
  2. may take a clause as object to state to be true; declare categorically
  3. to put (oneself) forward in an insistent manner
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • asˈserter, noun
  • asˈsertible, adjective
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Other Words From

  • as·serter as·sertor noun
  • as·serti·ble adjective
  • misas·sert verb (used with object)
  • over·as·sert verb (used with object)
  • preas·sert verb (used with object)
  • reas·sert verb (used with object)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of assert1

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 )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of assert1

C17: from Latin asserere to join to oneself, from serere to join
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. assert oneself, to insist on one's rights, declare one's views forcefully, etc.:

    The candidate finally asserted himself about property taxes.

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Synonym Study

See declare. See maintain.
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Example Sentences

Chiles’ lawyers asserted that any delays were the fault of CAS, which sent all correspondence to Chiles to an invalid email address that indicated to the sender that the emails didn’t reach her.

But ministers have been attempting to assert more control over regulators and other parts of the state to achieve the government's goals, above all boosting the country's sluggish economy.

From BBC

Frequently photographed by Terry Richardson for Purple, she asserts that he was never inappropriate with her.

"The external security agency has asserted that the allegation that this flaw could have provided access to large amounts of patients' data is categorically false."

From BBC

The typical response to such statistics is to assert that trans women and girls dominate athletic competitions, ruining the sport for everyone else involved.

From Salon

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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.

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Asserassertation