assert

American  

[uh-surt] / əˈsɜrt /

verb (used with object)

• asserts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• asserted,
  past participle,  past
• asserting
  present participle

1. 

   to state with assurance, confidence, or force; state strongly or positively; affirm; aver.

   He asserted his innocence of the crime.

   Synonyms:

   maintain, avow, asseverate

   Antonyms:

   deny

2. to maintain or defend (claims, rights, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   support, uphold

3. to state as having existence; affirm; postulate.

   to assert a first cause as necessary.

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idioms

1. assert oneself, to insist on one's rights, declare one's views forcefully, etc..

   The candidate finally asserted himself about property taxes.

assert British  

/ əˈsɜːt /

verb

1. to insist upon (rights, claims, etc)

2. (may take a clause as object) to state to be true; declare categorically

3. to put (oneself) forward in an insistent manner

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Synonym Usage

See declare. See maintain.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• asserter
  noun
• assertor
  noun
• misassert
  verb (used with object)
• overassert
  verb (used with object)
• preassert
  verb (used with object)
• reassert
  verb (used with object)
• assertible
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• asserting
  present
• asserted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• assert
  simple
• asserts
  simple
• have asserted
  perfect
• has asserted
  perfect
• am asserting
  progressive
• are asserting
  progressive
• is asserting
  progressive
• have been asserting
  perfect progressive
• has been asserting
  perfect progressive

Past

• asserted
  simple
• had asserted
  perfect
• was asserting
  progressive
• were asserting
  progressive
• had been asserting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will assert
  simple
• will have asserted
  perfect
• will be asserting
  progressive
• will have been asserting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of assert

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin assertus “joined to, defended, claimed,” past participle of asserere “to join to, defend,” from as- as- + serere “to connect” ( cf. series)

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Explanation

Asserting is all about standing up for what you believe. You might assert an opinion, your innocence, or even your authority over someone else. The verb assert can be used for both opinions and for oneself. When asked, you can politely assert your desire to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If no one listens to you, you can assert yourself and forcefully state that you really want to go to the amusement park for your birthday. If that fails, you should just take yourself to the amusement park for your birthday. And get better friends.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assert asserts asserted asserting

Security experts told BBC Verify this was part of an Iranian effort to assert greater control over the strait, in response to the US military successfully escorting more vessels through the vital shipping lane.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

In the film, we see Lisa struggling to assert herself in the recording studio, and tearfully battling nerves over her singing voice.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

They also want the court to assert oversight, determining how much pumping should be curtailed and requiring the state to develop a long-term plan under its supervision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Striving to pursue its “European way” on AI and assert regulatory leadership, Europe, by contrast, welcomed the call.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

I was not even my parents’ son in 1928 but a devilishly smooth impostor, awaiting their slightest blunder as an excuse to move in—preferably without violence, but not necessarily—to assert my true identity.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

Mr. Wegman asserts that Wilson called for the president to be directly elected by the people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Court monitor Kellie Wasko’s report asserts that the government remained largely out of compliance with the court’s order.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Here, Fennell asserts that rape culture is our culture, that patriarchy and misogyny seep through the cracks of every single surface.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Transparency means that the use of AI is disclosed to readers in a clear, honest, and obvious manner,” Pangram, which makes an AI tool that purports to identify AI-generated writing, asserts on its marketing blog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

If this really is a police apparatus, here; if it’s what it asserts itself to be.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

She has asserted that Venezuela will retain sovereignty over its natural resources and defended the choice of Betancourt.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

Lula said the saint was "offended" by those who "do not respect" the religion of others, while Bolsonaro asserted his "respect for the faith of millions of Brazilians."

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

"No child should be placed in circumstances where returning to his father's homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict," Kemigisa asserted in a post on X.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

At ceremonies on Sept. 5 and 6, honoring artistic and technical achievements, as well as some performance categories, several shows asserted some early dominance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

“He urged me to ‘get out,’ ” Kamen recalled, “whereupon I hotly asserted that I had never been ‘in.’

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Two of the supervisors realized Mason’s filing contained major errors, such as contradicting the trial record by asserting one witness never visually identified Johnson as the shooter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

This is roughly analogous to me asserting that running headfirst into a telephone pole at a full sprint will not affect my health because I do not “intend” to concuss myself.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The ICC expressed concern over those withdrawals, asserting that such countries risked undermining the collective pursuit of justice.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

“People wait their whole life to find their calling,” Casey’s teacher tells her about the scholarship, asserting that a natural fluency in science means it must be her destiny.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

He began by goading his audience of Korean immigrants and their American-raised adult children, asserting that Kim Jong II was worse than Hitler.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

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Related Words

• affirm
• allege
• argue
• cite
• claim
• contend
• defend
• proclaim
• profess
• say
• stress
• uphold

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