assert
Americanverb (used with object)
-
asserts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
asserted,
past participle, past
-
asserting
present participle
-
to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm; aver.
He asserted his innocence of the crime.
- Synonyms:
- maintain, avow, asseverate
- Antonyms:
- deny
-
to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.).
-
to state as having existence; affirm; postulate.
to assert a first cause as necessary.
idioms
verb
-
to insist upon (rights, claims, etc)
-
(may take a clause as object) to state to be true; declare categorically
-
to put (oneself) forward in an insistent manner
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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asserternoun
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assertornoun
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misassertverb (used with object)
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overassertverb (used with object)
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preassertverb (used with object)
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reassertverb (used with object)
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assertibleadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
assertsimple
-
assertssimple
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have assertedperfect
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has assertedperfect
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am assertingprogressive
-
are assertingprogressive
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is assertingprogressive
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have been assertingperfect progressive
-
has been assertingperfect progressive
Past
-
assertedsimple
-
had assertedperfect
-
was assertingprogressive
-
were assertingprogressive
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had been assertingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of assert
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin assertus “joined to, defended, claimed,” past participle of asserere “to join to, defend,” from as- as- + serere “to connect” ( cf. series)
Explanation
Asserting is all about standing up for what you believe. You might assert an opinion, your innocence, or even your authority over someone else. The verb assert can be used for both opinions and for oneself. When asked, you can politely assert your desire to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If no one listens to you, you can assert yourself and forcefully state that you really want to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If that fails, you should just take yourself to the amusement park for your birthday. And get better friends.
Vocabulary lists containing assert
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The prime minister said on Monday that King Felipe VI would visit Ceuta "as soon as conditions allow", seen as an attempt to assert Spanish authority over the exclave.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
West asserts that Gilkar and Ahmed pressured her to terminate the pregnancy; Gilkar and Ahmed assert that West initially agreed that termination would be best and even made an appointment before changing her mind.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
He reimposed the blockade in July after Iran started attacking ships again to assert its control over the strait.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The two young admirals, many assert, enjoyed meteoric career rises thanks to family patronage: They are nephews of a former secretary of the navy, José Rafael Ojeda Durán.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
For the second time that evening Emily was obliged to assert her rights over written messages passing through her household.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Citing the biblical book of Esther, in which a principled young woman surrounded by hatred for Jews asserts her identity to save her people, Ms. Horn makes it clear that we are at a crossroads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Customers weren't "ready" for robot-made pizza, he asserts.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
But like its creator, Schoenbrun’s film asserts that media can be integral to personal identity.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
West asserts that Gilkar and Ahmed pressured her to terminate the pregnancy; Gilkar and Ahmed assert that West initially agreed that termination would be best and even made an appointment before changing her mind.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Your aunt and Candace will meet each other—another time,” Dad asserts.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The defense ministry has asserted the legality of its operations in Guaviare.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
But the Spanish second seed asserted his authority to win 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 against world number 72 Faria in the New York night session.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The majority concluded that her asserted injury probably does not cross Article 3’s threshold.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
In a late-night legal filing, OpenAI asserted that Apple filed a baseless lawsuit in an attempt to hamper its ability to recruit new employees and ultimately stall its effort to develop competing technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
“Nobody would tell,” he asserted with a straight face.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
All of them have top-flight or international experience, as well as physicality to their game, but even those additions did little to prevent Arsenal from asserting their superiority on Friday night.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The ICC expressed concern over those withdrawals, asserting that such countries risked undermining the collective pursuit of justice.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“People wait their whole life to find their calling,” Casey’s teacher tells her about the scholarship, asserting that a natural fluency in science means it must be her destiny.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Here we meet Kelly Macdonald, suppressing her Scottish accent as tough but tender Sheriff Kerry, asserting her jurisdictional rights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
He began by goading his audience of Korean immigrants and their American-raised adult children, asserting that Kim Jong II was worse than Hitler.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
