Assert \As*sert"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Asserted; p. pr. & vb.
n. Asserting.] [L. assertus, p. p. of asserere to join or
fasten to one's self, claim, maintain; ad + serere to join or
bind together. See Series.]
1. To affirm; to declare with assurance, or plainly and
strongly; to state positively; to aver; to asseverate.
[1913 Webster]
Nothing is more shameful . . . than to assert
anything to be done without a cause. --Ray.
[1913 Webster]
2. To maintain; to defend. [Obs. or Archaic]
[1913 Webster]
That . . . I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to men. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
I will assert it from the scandal. --Jer. Taylor.
[1913 Webster]
3. To maintain or defend, as a cause or a claim, by words or
measures; to vindicate a claim or title to; as, to assert
our rights and liberties.
[1913 Webster]
To assert one's self, to claim or vindicate one's rights or
position; to demand recognition.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To affirm; aver; asseverate; maintain; protest;
pronounce; declare; vindicate.
Usage: To Assert, Affirm, Maintain, Vindicate. To
assert is to fasten to one's self, and hence to claim.
It is, therefore, adversative in its nature. We assert
our rights and privileges, or the cause of tree
institutions, as against opposition or denial. To
affirm is to declare as true. We assert boldly; we
affirm positively. To maintain is to uphold, and
insist upon with earnestness, whatever we have once
asserted; as, to maintain one's cause, to maintain an
argument, to maintain the ground we have taken. To
vindicate is to use language and measures of the
strongest kind, in defense of ourselves and those for
whom we act. We maintain our assertions by adducing
proofs, facts, or arguments; we are ready to vindicate
our rights or interests by the utmost exertion of our
powers.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
assert
v 1: state categorically [syn: asseverate, maintain]
2: to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; "Before
God I swear I am innocent" [syn: affirm, verify, avow,
aver, swan, swear]
3: insist on having one's opinions and rights recognized;
"Women should assert themselves more!" [syn: put forward]
4: assert to be true; "The letter asserts a free society" [syn:
insist]
WordNet (r) 2.0
86 Moby Thesaurus words for "assert":
advance, advocate, affirm, allege, allege in support, announce,
annunciate, answer, argue, argue for, assever, asseverate, aver,
avouch, avow, brook no denial, champion, confess, contend,
contend for, counter, declare, defend, enunciate, espouse, express,
express the belief, have, hold, insist, insist on, insist upon,
issue a manifesto, lay down, maintain, make a plea, manifesto,
nuncupate, persist, plead for, pose, posit, postulate, predicate,
press, proclaim, profess, pronounce, propose, propound, protest,
put, put it, quote, rebut, recite, refute, relate, reply, respond,
riposte, say, say in defense, set down, set forth, speak,
speak for, speak out, speak up, speak up for, stand for, stand on,
stand up for, state, stick to, stick up for, submit, support,
sustain, swear, take no denial, uphold, urge, urge reasons for,
vow, warrant
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
ASSERT
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