assent

American  

[uh-sent] / əˈsɛnt /

verb (used without object)

1. to agree or concur; subscribe to (often followed byto ).

   to assent to a statement.

   Synonyms:

   acquiesce

2. to give in; yield; concede.

   Assenting to his demands, I did as I was told.

   Synonyms:

   acquiesce

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noun

1. agreement, as to a proposal; concurrence.

2. acquiescence; compliance.

assent British  

/ əˈsɛnt /

noun

1. agreement, as to a statement, proposal, etc; acceptance

2. hesitant agreement; compliance

3. sanction

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verb

1. to agree or express agreement

Usage

What's the difference between assent and ascent? Assent can be a noun meaning agreement, as in I give my assent, or a verb meaning to agree or give in, as in I assent to your terms. Ascent is a noun that means the act of moving upward (ascending), an upward movement, or upward movement in general.The two words are pronounced exactly the same.Perhaps the best way to remember the difference between the two is to think about what related words mean and how they’re spelled. Words related to assent involve agreement or disagreement and end with -sent, including consent and dissent.Words related to ascent involve movement and are spelled with sc, including ascend, ascension, descent, descend, and transcend.Here’s an example of assent and ascent used correctly in a sentence.Example: I asked him if he really wanted to climb the mountain, he gave his assent, and we began our ascent.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between assent and ascent.

Related Words

See agree.

Other Word Forms

• assenter noun
• assentingly adverb
• assentive adjective
• assentiveness noun
• assentor noun
• nonassenting adjective
• reassent verb (used without object)
• unassenting adjective
• unassentive adjective

Etymology

Origin of assent

1250–1300; Middle English asenten < Old French asenter < Latin assentārī, equivalent to as- as- + sen ( t )- ( scent ) + -t- frequentative suffix + -ā- thematic vowel + -rī infinitive suffix

Example Sentences

Proxy military groups stayed out of the June 2025 war, apparently with Tehran’s assent.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Disarmament there has frequently been conducted with Hezbollah’s assent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

The law is in limbo, as Ramaphosa – about four months after giving his assent to it – has still not set a date for its implementation.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025

They weren’t all that interested in talking politics—but I did get some slight nods of assent when Rogan popped up on screen and I called him a “weird guy.”

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2024

For the Arguments to induce belief, though of sufficient certainty, yet do not so constrain the mind to give its assent, but there is prudence and choice in it.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• acknowledgment
• acquiescence
• concurrence
• consent