aver

American  

[uh-vur] / əˈvɜr /

verb (used with object)

• avers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• averred,
  past participle,  past
• averring
  present participle

1. to assert or affirm with confidence; declare in a positive or peremptory manner.

2. Law. to allege as a fact.

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aver British  

/ əˈvɜː /

verb

1. to state positively; assert

2. law to allege as a fact or prove to be true

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Synonym Usage

See maintain.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• averment
  noun
• misaver
  verb (used with object)
• preaver
  verb (used with object)
• unaverred
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• averring
  present
• averred
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• aver
  simple
• avers
  simple
• have averred
  perfect
• has averred
  perfect
• am averring
  progressive
• are averring
  progressive
• is averring
  progressive
• have been averring
  perfect progressive
• has been averring
  perfect progressive

Past

• averred
  simple
• had averred
  perfect
• was averring
  progressive
• were averring
  progressive
• had been averring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will aver
  simple
• will have averred
  perfect
• will be averring
  progressive
• will have been averring
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of aver

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French averer < Medieval Latin advērāre, equivalent to ad- ad- + -vēr- (< Latin vērus true) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix

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Explanation

To aver is to state something or declare something is true. This verb has a serious tone, so you might aver something on a witness stand or you might aver that you won't back down to a challenge. The verb aver comes to English via the Latin root words ad, meaning "to," and verus, meaning "true." The word can have the sense of formally declaring something is true, but it can also mean to report positively: "The grandmother averred that her granddaughter would make a fine veterinarian because of her love and caring for animals."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aver avers averred averring

As a native-born Englishman, I will aver that Britain retains some virtues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

But many practitioners of Ayurveda or other traditional Indian medicine aver that the churning process used to prepare lassi breaks down the glial proteins in the dairy, making it even easier to digest.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2022

The speakers were divided into six groups which aver aged about 176 words each, or more than 1,000 words a day.

From Washington Times ● May 17, 2017

When all this comes to an end, bears aver, the market rally could peter out.

From Economist ● Apr. 23, 2015

“I aver, sir, 1 have so little conception of the direction of this interview' that I cannot offer any reply whatsoever.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Stephen Carter, author and Yale law professor, avers that “Democracy demands dialogue and dialogue flows from disagreement.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

In 1981, he avers, there were no school shooters, no one was on meds, no one was a snowflake, security at LAX was lax and there was still a Tower Records on Ventura Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2023

At every turn, there’s a caress waiting, even if it’s a gambit for affection: “I got a lot on my mind, and I gotta share the pain,” Saint Levant avers.

From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2022

Twitter further avers that Tweets have a maximum length of 280 characters.

From The Verge ● Aug. 4, 2022

In truth, we owe the preservation of the features which identify this romantic spot to the very hand which the author of "Crayon Miscellany" avers is "execrated by every poetic pilgrim."

From A Literary Pilgrimage Among the Haunts of Famous British Authors by Theodore F. (Theodore Frelinghuysen) Wolfe

The Justice Department then averred that it did not notify customs officers at Boston’s airport quickly enough to stop Alawieh’s placement on a plane to Lebanon.

From Slate ● Mar. 17, 2025

“Across the democratic community, there will always be differences of opinion,” he averred.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024

A blockade, he averred, was merely a necessary step to put down an internal insurrection.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024

Besides, CRS averred, it could chase some people away from applying for benefits they are entitled to.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 14, 2023

But, then, a voice within me averred that I could do it and foretold that I should do it.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

What did that even mean?—something akin to the counsel averring that “there is no sky.”

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2017

I’ve heard from more than one reader over the years averring that an orchestra’s role is simply to play the music of Beethoven, Brahms and their ilk: Forget contemporary stuff, much less diversity.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 13, 2016

The prosecutors kept the Bible out of discussion by averring that the Bible did not constitute the rule of faith except as interpreted by the Church.

From Time Magazine Archive

U. S. delegates protested against theft of exclusive news, scoops and beats, averring that the newspaper which discovers news first should have the sole right, for the day at least, to print the news.

From Time Magazine Archive

I think he is under a mistake in averring that there is any severity in the sheath spur.

From Ladies on Horseback Learning, Park-Riding, and Hunting, with Hints upon Costume, and Numerous Anecdotes by Nannie Lambert

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