assertive

[uh-sur-tiv]

adjective

1. confidently aggressive or self-assured; positive: aggressive; dogmatic.

   He is too assertive as a salesman.

   Synonyms: forward, decisive, forceful

2. having a distinctive or pronounced taste or aroma.

assertive

/ əˈsɜːtɪv /

adjective

1. confident and direct in claiming one's rights or putting forward one's views

2. given to making assertions or bold demands; dogmatic or aggressive

Other Word Forms

• assertively adverb
• assertiveness noun
• nonassertive adjective
• nonassertively adverb
• nonassertiveness noun
• overassertive adjective
• overassertively adverb
• overassertiveness noun
• pseudoassertive adjective
• pseudoassertively adverb
• unassertive adjective
• unassertively adverb
• unassertiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of assertive¹

First recorded in 1555–65; assert + -ive

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Papperger’s assertive style has irked officials and some U.S. executives who have joined with the German business as a way to tap the booming European market.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Aged in stainless steel and neutral oak, it’s dry and well-balanced, with a bright but not overly assertive acidity, deft minerality and pleasingly delicate persistence in the mouth.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"But under the surface, we were beginning to sense a much more assertive China."

Read more on BBC

As yet another hack against a major U.S. company unfolds, it is about time policymakers consider a more assertive shift on China as part of its response.

Read more on Barron's

Since she fled to India -- defying extradition orders to attend her crimes against humanity trial -- Islamist groups have grown increasingly assertive.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• confident 
• decisive 
• emphatic 
• forceful 
• insistent 
• pushy 
• self-assured 
• self-confident www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does assertive mean?

Assertive commonly means confident and direct when trying to get what one wants or saying what one wants to say. It can also mean aggressive, forceful, or having a tendency to make demands.These two meanings are typically applied to people, their personalities, or their actions. Assertive is sometimes also applied to food to mean having a bold flavor.Example: If you want your work to be noticed, you have to be more assertive—you can’t just sit quietly at every meeting.