Assert
/əˈsɜːt/noun
To state or maintain a claim confidently and forcefully.
Did you know?Assert comes from Latin *asserere*, a compound used in Roman law for formally claiming a person or thing as belonging to you—so the word began life as an act of possession, not just opinion.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
asserere
“to claim, lay claim to, or declare as one's own”
Late Latin
Latin
assertus
“claimed, defended, maintained”
14th Century
Middle English
asserten
“to claim or maintain as true; to defend”
16th Century
English
assert
“to state firmly; to maintain with confidence”
Modern English
English
assert
“to state or defend a claim confidently”