assert

verb

as·sert | \ ə-ˈsərt

, a-\

asserted; asserting; asserts

Definition of assert

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from assert Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about assert

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

In January, Orben published a paper asserting that screen time was no stronger a risk factor for adolescent depression than eating potatoes or wearing eyeglasses. — Jessica Wapner, SELF, "How Worried Do You Really Need to Be About Your Screen Time?," 7 Feb. 2019 In court filings, officials at the detention facility denied all the allegations of physical abuse, which the lawsuit asserts happened between 2015 to 2018, during both the Obama and Trump administrations. — CBS News, "Some young immigrants at detention center cope through poetry," 22 June 2018 In a unanimous ruling of 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court displayed a willingness to combat the corporate patenting of DNA, asserting unanimously that snippets of human DNA cannot be patented. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "Nearly Half the Patents on Marine Genes Belong to Just One Company," 13 June 2018 New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland sued the federal government in July over the cap, asserting that the tax law unfairly targeted high-tax states governed by Democrats. — Ken Thomas, WSJ, "Democratic Governors Push for State-Tax Reversal," 22 Feb. 2019 Design to stop a final vote on the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation, asserting an obstruction of his constitutional duty to advised and consent on nominees. — Fox News, "Laura Ingraham: The accusers' last act," 26 Sep. 2018 Kavanaugh declared Monday night, asserting facts not in evidence. — Cristian Farias, Daily Intelligencer, "In Kavanaugh, Trump Found Another Judge Who Will Kiss the Ring," 10 July 2018 Shooter filed his claim in April, asserting that the process used to remove him was rigged. — Dustin Gardiner, azcentral, "Former Arizona Rep. Don Shooter sued for slander by accuser, Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita," 15 June 2018 Papamiltiadis asserted that none of these integration points violated Facebook’s 2012 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, because users gave permission for applications and websites to access their Facebook data. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Facebook “partner” arrangements: Are they as bad as they look?," 19 Dec. 2018

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.