assert

verb as·sert \ ə-ˈsərt , a- \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of assert

transitive verb

1 a :to state or declare positively and often forcefully or aggressively

The suspect continued to assert his innocence.

b :to compel or demand acceptance or recognition of (something, such as one's authority)

… the confrontations that inevitably occur [between orangutans] when several males try to assert dominance …
—NationalGeographic.com

Wallace asserted control early—shutting down both candidates when they tried to talk over one another, and shushing the audience when it reacted too audibly.
—Glenn Thrush

2 a :to demonstrate the existence of

He wished to vindicate himself in some way, to assert his manhood.
—James Joyce

b :posit, postulate

— assert oneself

1 :to speak or act in a manner that compels recognition especially of one's rights

… she wants him to learn to assert himself with people in positions of authority.
—Malcolm Gladwell

… a long-suffering Irish community asserted itself by putting its own politicians in power.
—Ellis Cose

2 :to become more strongly apparent :to become clearly seen, known, or experienced

Unbidden, a glint asserts itself in Ms. Brown's eyes …
—Joanne Kaufman

… a passion that through its long suppression was now asserting itself with volcanic necessity.
—Zadie Smith

See assert defined for English-language learners

See assert defined for kids

Examples of assert in a Sentence

He asserted that there were spies in the government.
She asserted her independence from her parents by getting her own apartment.
The boss was reluctant to assert his authority over his employees.

Recent Examples of assert from the Web

When Capital Prep's actual enrollment practices were revealed, school officials asserted its operating plan allowed it to ignore the lottery process.

— kathleen megan, courant.com, "State Approves 504 New Slots For Charter School Students," 19 July 2017
A total of 120 participants in the fundraising scandal either fled the country, asserted their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, or otherwise avoided questioning.

— john fund, National Review, "Not All Foreign-Influence Scandals Are Created Equal," 16 July 2017
In fact, the Saudis’ primary aim was to punish Qatar for asserting its independence from Riyadh by, among other things, engaging with Iran and abetting Al Jazeera’s journalism.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Kushner Sought $500 Million Bailout From Top Qatari Investor: Report," 10 July 2017
The civil servant continued reporting to work each day as the militants asserted their control over Mosul’s nearly 2 million inhabitants, one institution at a time.

— emily feldman, MSNBC Newsweek, "Can ISIS's Indoctrinated Kids be Saved From a Future of Violent Jihad?," 6 July 2017
Trump created the panel in May after repeatedly asserting, without any proof whatsoever, that voter fraud cost him the popular vote against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "Where have we seen Trump’s ‘repugnant’ voter witch hunt before? In Scott’s Florida," 6 July 2017
The league, which asserted that there was no evidence the data had been accessed by the thief, ultimately avoided sanction by the Department of Health and Human Services for the breach.

— tom taylor, The MMQB, "Football’s Next Frontier: The Battle Over Big Data," 27 June 2017
Haggerty didn't analyze whether the ACLU had the right to intervene, and instead found that the DEA violated privacy rights asserted by the ACLU, the appeals panel's opinion said.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "DEA does not need warrant to subpoena Oregon prescription drug information," 26 June 2017
Assistant state's attorneys Daniel Kleinhubert and Scott Turk asserted during the trial that evidence and witness testimony showed that Curtis purposefully and without provocation stabbed Blum that night.

— jim newton, Lake County News-Sun, "Man convicted in 'unprovoked' fatal stabbing of co-worker in Waukegan draws 40-year sentence," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of assert

Latin assertus, past participle of asserere, from ad- + serere to join — more at series

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1604

See Words from the same year

assert Synonyms

Synonyms

affirm, aver, avouch, avow, declare, guarantee, lay down, profess

Antonyms

deny, gainsay

Related Words

advance, advertise, boost, plug, promote, publicize; announce, blaze, call, proclaim, pronounce, say; accent, accentuate, emphasize, stress, underline, underscore; advocate, champion, defend, espouse, support, uphold; assure, convince, persuade; explain, justify, rationalize; reaffirm, reassert

Near Antonyms

minimize, understate; disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

Synonym Discussion of assert

assert, declare, affirm, protest, avow mean to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection. assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence.

- asserted that modern music is just noise

declare stresses open or public statement.

- declared her support for the candidate

affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith.

- affirmed the existence of an afterlife

protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt.

- protested that he really had been misquoted

avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared.

- avowed that all investors would be repaid in full

synonyms see in addition maintain

ASSERT Defined for English Language Learners

assert

verb

Definition of assert for English Language Learners

: to state (something) in a strong and definite way
: to demand that other people accept or respect (something)

ASSERT Defined for Kids

assert

verb as·sert \ ə-ˈsərt \

Definition of assert for Students

asserted; asserting

1 :to state clearly and strongly

assert an opinion

2 :to make others aware of

assert your independence

3 :to speak or act in a way that demands attention or recognition

If you want people to listen, you have to assert yourself.

Law Dictionary

assert

transitive verb as·sert \ ə-ˈsərt \

legal Definition of assert

:to present and demand recognition of

assert a claim

—

assertion

play \ə-ˈsər-shən\ noun

Learn More about assert

See words that rhyme with assert Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for assert Spanish Central: Translation of assert Nglish: Translation of assert for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of assert for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up assert? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

assert

Definition of assert

Explore M-W

Examples of assert in a Sentence

Recent Examples of assert from the Web

Origin and Etymology of assert

assert Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of assert

Phrases Related to ASSERT

Related Phrases

ASSERT Defined for English Language Learners

assert

Definition of assert for English Language Learners

ASSERT Defined for Kids

assert

Definition of assert for Students

Law Dictionary

assert

legal Definition of assert

assertion

Learn More about assert

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066