As-sērt', v. t.

(14), v. t. [imp. & p. p. ASSERTED; p. pr. & vb. n. ASSERTING.] [Lat. asserere, assertum, to join or fasten to one's self, to claim, to maintain, from ad and serere, to join or bind together.] 1. To affirm positively; to declare with assurance; to aver; to asseverate. Nothing is more shameful . . . than to assert any thing to be done without a cause. Ray. 2. To maintain or defend by words or measures; to vindicate; as, to assert our rights and liberties. I could and would myself assert the British from his scandalous pen. Fuller. And will assert it from the scandal if it be expedient. Bp. Taylor. Syn. — To affirm; aver; asseverate; maintain; protest; pronounce; declare; vindicate. — To ASSERT, MAIN-TAIN, 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 free institutions, as against opposition or denial. So, also, in respect to our declarations, if we regard them as mere statements of what is true, we use the word affirm; if we claim them to be undeniable, we use the words assert or assertion. 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 assert with boldness and constancy; 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.