assent 1 of 2

assent

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word assent distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of assent are accede, acquiesce, agree, consent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When might accede be a better fit than assent?

The meanings of accede and assent largely overlap; however, accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When is acquiesce a more appropriate choice than assent?

While in some cases nearly identical to assent, acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

When would agree be a good substitute for assent?

The synonyms agree and assent are sometimes interchangeable, but agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

In what contexts can consent take the place of assent?

In some situations, the words consent and assent are roughly equivalent. However, consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When can subscribe be used instead of assent?

While the synonyms subscribe and assent are close in meaning, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assent
Verb
The Senate can only bypass that provision with the assent of four-fifths of the members, as per the chamber's Rule 16.04. Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 But mayoral critics, progressive aldermen, transit activists and developers alike said the quiet assent belies the policy’s impact. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025
Noun
Putin did not agree to a full ceasefire, which Trump has proposed and which Ukraine had assented to earlier. Joshua Keating, Vox, 18 Mar. 2025 These agreements encourage assenting parties to perform due diligence, helping to identify potential gaps in the data protection chain. Chris Novak, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assent
Verb
  • Government leaders and local experts on transit agree one-way streets, which were intended to make travel faster for commuters heading in and out of downtown, present safety concerns.
    Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
  • An undercover operation in 2022 revealed that Komarczyk and his associate, Irazmar Carbajal, agreed to move $100,000 of what the FBI believed to be sanctioned money belonging to members of Venezuela’s government.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Yet, the lesson of the Voting Rights Act is that the response to these setbacks isn’t despair or acquiescence.
    Time, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this revenge is the acquiescence of his support base and the GOP representatives to the raw hatred unleashed by our Emir of Evil.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Most of the Arab states have consented to Trump's plan, and Israel is also on board.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • However, Price, 42, consented to a search of her home by the Marshals Service, whose agents found Daniels inside, Holder said.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Construction could last about four months in 2027 and about a month in 2028, depending on permit approval, Moreno wrote in an email.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • With final approval, the district will now form a seven-member architectural review committee that will be charged with devising design review guidelines for the area.
    Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His artificial intelligence startup, now valued at $500 billion, has signed agreements with several companies including Oracle, Coreweave and Broadcom.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Smotrich demanded there be no agreement on Palestinian Authority or Qatari involvement in Gazan governance, nor anything that supports the concept of a future independent Palestinian state.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His acceptance of a jet worth hundreds of millions from the government of Qatar this year raised additional questions.
    New York Times, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • While menopause‘s first appearance in medical literature was in 1821, the term coined by French physician Charles-Pierre-Louis de Gardanne didn’t gain much mainstream acceptance.
    Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • To be clear, Cheyava Falls is not confirmation that there was life on Mars.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The confirmation of drones over Germany comes as NATO's Denmark investigates a wave of drone disruption to its airports that officials have characterized as a hybrid attack, and coincides with Estonian, Polish, and Romanian accusations against Russia of serious airspace incursions.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But there’s no visual affirmation in the form of flashbacks.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Each was an exceptional play that delivered on defensive passing game coordinator Christian Parker’s summer affirmation that Mitchell could be one of the league’s greats.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assent. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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