assertion

noun

as·​ser·​tion ə-ˈsər-shən How to pronounce assertion (audio)
a-
: the act of asserting or something that is asserted: such as
a
: insistent and positive affirming, maintaining, or defending (as of a right or attribute)
an assertion of ownership/innocence
b
: a declaration that something is the case
He presented no evidence to support his assertions.

Examples of assertion in a Sentence

the assertion that all men have certain unalienable rights is set forth in the Declaration of Independence made the unlikely assertion that gravity affects light
Recent Examples on the Web And the report included damaging assertions about the 81-year-old president's memory that the White House has vehemently refuted. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 One approach that has garnered attention is a focus on labeling: an assertion that distribution platforms should publicly denote any post created using an LLM. Nathaniel Lubin, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 More than a realization of childhood dreams or a reclamation of cultural traditions, Monkey Man is Patel’s assertion of belonging. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israelis overwhelmingly support his policies and rejected President Joe Biden's assertion that the war in Gaza was hurting Israel. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 The bill’s author, Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of a special House committee focused on China, rejected TikTok’s assertion of a ban. Kevin Freking, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 The bill's author, Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of a special House committee focused on China, rejected TikTok's assertion of a ban. Kevin Freking and Haleluya Hadero, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 After losing that ruling, the Native rights group took the case to the appeals court, where a three-judge panel rejected Apache Stronghold's assertion that the mine would pose a substantial burden to their First Amendment religious practice rights. Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Donovan’s assertions came as both teams are asking county taxpayers to replace the current stadium sales tax — three-eighths of a cent, set to expire in 2031 — with a new three-eighths of a cent tax that would last for 40 years. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assertion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see assert

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assertion was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near assertion

Cite this Entry

“Assertion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assertion. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

assertion

noun
as·​ser·​tion ə-ˈsər-shən How to pronounce assertion (audio)
a-
: the act of asserting
also : something asserted : declaration

More from Merriam-Webster on assertion

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