asseverate

verb

as·​sev·​er·​ate ə-ˈse-və-ˌrāt 

asseverated; asseverating

transitive verb

: to affirm or declare positively or earnestly

he always asseverated that he did not know

—G. K. Chesterton

asseveration

ə-ˌse-və-ˈrā-shən 

noun

asseverative

ə-ˈse-və-ˌrā-tiv 

adjective

Did you know?

In a 2001 essay in The New York Times, novelist Elmore Leonard warned writers against using any verb other than "said" to carry dialogue, describing how an encounter with asseverated once compelled him to stop reading in order to consult a dictionary. We don't think that interruption for dictionary consultation is a bad thing, but we do acknowledge that asseverate is little more than a fancy word meaning "to assert or declare." It was formed in Latin from the prefix ad- ("to, toward") and the verb severare, a relative of the adjective severus, meaning "serious or severe," and has been used in English since the 17th century. Nowadays, asseverate is found mostly in the works of authors long dead. It's also occasionally employed by those who like to show off their vocabularies.

Word History

Etymology

Latin asseveratus, past participle of asseverare, from ad- + severus severe

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!