assertive

[uh-sur-tiv]

See more synonyms for assertive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

confidently aggressive or self-assured; positive: aggressive; dogmatic: He is too assertive as a salesman.
having a distinctive or pronounced taste or aroma.

Origin of assertive

First recorded in 1555–65; assert + -ive

Related formsas·ser·tive·ly, adverbas·ser·tive·ness, nounnon·as·ser·tive, adjectivenon·as·ser·tive·ly, adverbnon·as·ser·tive·ness, nouno·ver·as·ser·tive, adjectiveo·ver·as·ser·tive·ly, adverbo·ver·as·ser·tive·ness, nounpseu·do·as·ser·tive, adjectivepseu·do·as·ser·tive·ly, adverbun·as·ser·tive, adjectiveun·as·ser·tive·ly, adverbun·as·ser·tive·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. forceful, decisive, forward.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for assertive

Contemporary Examples

And, in all fairness to Lady Gaga, any singer who matches up with Tony Bennett needs to get loud and assertive.
Can Lady Gaga Do Jazz?
Ted Gioia
September 22, 2014
It tells me we need more women, and men, to raise their girls the way my parents raised me: to be assertive, confident and proud.
Sheryl Sandberg's Got a Bigger Problem Than Bossy-Gate
Keli Goff
March 17, 2014
He would recognize the angry, assertive tone of comments on web articles as the exact same tendency he identified in 1929.
The Smartest Book About Our Digital Age Was Published in 1929
Ted Gioia
January 5, 2014
Instead they were becoming an assertive voice on the streets, and also online, for their rights.
Principal Murdered in Pakistan: Latest Assault on Girls' Schooling
Gordon Brown
March 30, 2013
When a shy person decides to be assertive, they go over the top.
All Novels Are Spy Novels: Ian McEwan Talks ‘Sweet Tooth’ and His Life
Maya Jaggi
November 15, 2012

Historical Examples

This assertive Briton has no desire to lose identity in "Brahm."
Oswald Langdon
Carson Jay Lee
He was a slender fellow with close-clipped, assertive red hair.
The Arena
Various
There was in them something else, or more, than the assertive grossness of life.
The House of Pride
Jack London
His paganism would be too assertive; it might even be in bad taste.
The Longest Journey
E. M. Forster
He irritated the older men by his assertive manner, and his cocksureness.
Sons and Lovers
David Herbert Lawrence

British Dictionary definitions for assertive

assertive

adjective

confident and direct in claiming one's rights or putting forward one's views
given to making assertions or bold demands; dogmatic or aggressive

Derived Formsassertively, adverbassertiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for assertive

adj.

1560s, "declaratory, positive, full of assertion," from assert + -ive. Meaning "insisting on one's rights" is short for self-assertive (1865).

assertive

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}assertive

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for assertive

Contemporary Examples

And, in all fairness to Lady Gaga, any singer who matches up with Tony Bennett needs to get loud and assertive.

It tells me we need more women, and men, to raise their girls the way my parents raised me: to be assertive, confident and proud.

He would recognize the angry, assertive tone of comments on web articles as the exact same tendency he identified in 1929.

Instead they were becoming an assertive voice on the streets, and also online, for their rights.

When a shy person decides to be assertive, they go over the top.

Historical Examples

This assertive Briton has no desire to lose identity in "Brahm."

He was a slender fellow with close-clipped, assertive red hair.

There was in them something else, or more, than the assertive grossness of life.

His paganism would be too assertive; it might even be in bad taste.

He irritated the older men by his assertive manner, and his cocksureness.

assertive

Word Origin and History for assertive

adj.

Origin of assertive