assert

American  

[uh-surt] / əˈsɜrt /

verb (used with object)

• asserts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• asserted,
  past participle,  past
• asserting
  present participle

1. 

   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

2. to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   support, uphold

3. to state as having existence; affirm; postulate.

   to assert a first cause as necessary.

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idioms

1. assert oneself, to insist on one's rights, declare one's views forcefully, etc..

   The candidate finally asserted himself about property taxes.

assert British  

/ əˈsɜːt /

verb

1. to insist upon (rights, claims, etc)

2. (may take a clause as object) to state to be true; declare categorically

3. to put (oneself) forward in an insistent manner

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Synonym Usage

See declare. See maintain.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• asserter
  noun
• assertor
  noun
• misassert
  verb (used with object)
• overassert
  verb (used with object)
• preassert
  verb (used with object)
• reassert
  verb (used with object)
• assertible
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• asserting
  present
• asserted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• assert
  simple
• asserts
  simple
• have asserted
  perfect
• has asserted
  perfect
• am asserting
  progressive
• are asserting
  progressive
• is asserting
  progressive
• have been asserting
  perfect progressive
• has been asserting
  perfect progressive

Past

• asserted
  simple
• had asserted
  perfect
• was asserting
  progressive
• were asserting
  progressive
• had been asserting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will assert
  simple
• will have asserted
  perfect
• will be asserting
  progressive
• will have been asserting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assert asserts asserted asserting

Generative AI systems are known for their ability to "hallucinate" and assert falsehoods as fact, even sometimes invent sources for inaccurate information.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

"We want Europe to assert its ambition in crewed spaceflight," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

“The government totally could assert itself and implement safeguards.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

The member’s interest the trust seeks to assert isn’t germane to its purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Bruckner aside, most of Wagner’s contemporaries, while quick to assert his musical brilliance, were as at sea with the whole Wagner-and-the-future-of-all-art project as they were with the cultural agendas of his dramas.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

“Chronovisor,” a pleasurably hand-crafted curio, firmly asserts that the sensorial possibilities of film can seem infinite.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Here, Fennell asserts that rape culture is our culture, that patriarchy and misogyny seep through the cracks of every single surface.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Transparency means that the use of AI is disclosed to readers in a clear, honest, and obvious manner,” Pangram, which makes an AI tool that purports to identify AI-generated writing, asserts on its marketing blog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Golden also asserts that Oxford and Travis were covering for the original suspect, Jeramy Roebuck.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

And when the U.S. government asserts that terrorists raise money by selling black-market cigarettes, that acts as a rather jarring moral incentive.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Italian border police stopped him, and Lee asserted asylum, claiming that prosecutors were seeking his death.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

A county geologist asserted that the application should be denied because mining had been dormant at the site long before the state’s landmark surface mining law took effect in 1976.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Sacoolas left the UK after diplomatic immunity was asserted on her behalf.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

The Smithsonian asserted it had control over personnel matters, but Sajet later resigned, citing the museum's best interests.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

“He urged me to ‘get out,’ ” Kamen recalled, “whereupon I hotly asserted that I had never been ‘in.’

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

A recently filed civil suit asserting that Cornell failed to protect the woman has sparked a firestorm of criticism on and off campus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

County attorneys responded to the plaintiffs with a letter asserting that they should have appealed the Planning Commission’s approval of the vested rights to the county Board of Supervisors within 90 days of the decision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

This is roughly analogous to me asserting that running headfirst into a telephone pole at a full sprint will not affect my health because I do not “intend” to concuss myself.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Maresca acknowledged to reporters in pre-season that City's former boss would be referenced on a regular basis, but batted that particular narrative away by asserting "it doesn't put pressure on me".

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Jordan College was scoured from the dustiest box-room to the darkest cellar, and so were Gabriel and St. Michael’s, till the heads of all the colleges issued a joint protest asserting their ancient rights.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• affirm
• allege
• argue
• cite
• claim
• contend
• defend
• proclaim
• profess
• say
• stress
• uphold