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
Derived Forms
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misassertionnoun
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nonassertionnoun
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overassertionnoun
-
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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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.
After Clark and other journalists challenged his assertion of having “rescued” 45,000 women and children, that language was removed from Marx’s campaign site; the candidate blamed a web developer for the mistake.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026
Roy, who has promised to turn the city attorney’s office into “the largest public interest law firm in the city,” targeting wage theft, tenant harassment and other issues, disputed Waldman’s assertion.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
“We suspect this assertion of continued Iranian control over the strait will end up being symbolic in practice, but this is not a great outcome,” analysts at Wolfe Research said in a note.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026
No European leaders have publicly accepted his assertion.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
They’re lighter brown than mine, with specks of hazel and green, what she claims is the assertion of her distant Pashtun blood.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
