assertion
Americannoun
-
a positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason.
a mere assertion;
an unwarranted assertion.
- Synonyms:
- allegation, contention, claim
-
an act of asserting.
noun
-
a positive statement, usually made without an attempt at furnishing evidence
-
the act of asserting
Other Word Forms
- assertional adjective
- misassertion noun
- nonassertion noun
- overassertion noun
- reassertion noun
- superassertion noun
Etymology
Origin of assertion
1375–1425; late Middle English assercion < Latin assertiōn- (stem of assertiō ). See assert, -ion
Explanation
An assertion is a declaration that's made emphatically, especially as part of an argument or as if it's to be understood as a statement of fact. To assert is to state with force. So if someone makes an assertion, they’re not just trying out an idea — they really mean it. An assertion can also be an act that seems to make a statement without words. When your dog urinates in multiple places up and down your block, he's making an assertion of his dominance (also called "marking") over his "territory."
Vocabulary lists containing assertion
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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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.
The lawsuits also challenge the assertion that Van Rootselaar's ChatGPT account was actually banned.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
She also questioned the prime minister's assertion that "no pressure existed whatsoever" on the Civil Service to approve Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
“There is nothing credible that she will offer the government, and the assertion that she would provide information is simply a smoke screen.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
There is a major problem with this bold assertion: The Supreme Court has instructed lower courts never to assume that a precedent has been silently overruled by later decisions that seem to conflict with it.
From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026
From some of the nation’s leading scientists would come denunciations of Oppenheimer, veiled and overt, among them Edward Teller’s assertion that “I personally would feel more secure if public matters would rest in other hands.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
