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 for assertive

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1. forceful, decisive, forward.

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

Related Words for unassertive

prudent, simple, humble, quiet, unassuming, moderate, unflappable, uninvolved, static, laid-back, nonviolent, indifferent, apathetic, satisfied, reticent, wary, cautious, diffident, demure, hesitant

Examples from the Web for unassertive

Historical Examples of unassertive

That the squatters did not themselves recognise the worth of one so unassertive was not to be wondered at.
Australian Writers
Desmond Byrne
He was an unassertive, unassuming man, with a genius for being inconspicuous.
John M. Synge: A Few Personal Recollections, with Biographical Notes
John Masefield
Would not he too have been melancholy, quiet, unassertive, almost as uninteresting and uninterested as Booth was?
The Story of My Life
Ellen Terry
The Eversleighs were very fond of their house, and, in an unassertive way, proud of it.
The Mystery of Lincoln's Inn
Robert Machray
Her beauty was not heightened now, but it was displayed with all the grave consciousness of an unassertive renown.
Sinister Street, vol. 2
Compton Mackenzie

British Dictionary definitions for unassertive

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 unassertive

assertive

adj.

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