assertion
Americannoun
-
assertions
plural
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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
Derived Forms
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misassertionnoun
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nonassertionnoun
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overassertionnoun
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reassertionnoun
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superassertionnoun
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assertionaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
The owner of the building, the Canadian asset manager Brookfield, rejected that assertion, saying it does not have any outstanding sums due to BHV Marais.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Raman’s office didn’t comment on that assertion, but Stahl said that the Bureau of Street Services isn’t funded to repair damaged sidewalks, and the responsibility falls to the adjacent property owners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Pub historian Charo Havermans agreed with that assertion.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Darcy’s sources said Weiss’ objections were not confined to a single factual assertion but ranged far more broadly, and that some on the team were unsure the report would even air at all.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
It would take months to contradict every other wild assertion in Miss Skeeter’s book.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
The repeated assertions at the top of the prospectus that “our co-founders have each pledged to dedicate 80% of their personal equity in Anthropic to philanthropic causes” are effectively meaningless.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
In separate documents filed as part of Mountbatten-Windsor's legal challenge against the warrants, he said: "These assertions were no more than speculation."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
In a statement, a spokesperson for Lineage said the the LAFD’s report backed the company’s assertions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
A Bilt spokesperson said Warren’s assertions were “incorrect.”
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
Masondo could be a volatile fellow, and he was vehement in his assertions that no tigers had ever been found in Africa.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
