Assent
verb
To say yes or agree to something.
The teacher asked if everybody understood the lesson and the students assented.
noun
The act of agreeing or approving something.
The project was implemented with the board's assent.
Often appears as...
- board's assent
- parental assent
noun
An agreement or approval, especially by someone who has the authority to make legal decisions.
The sale of the property received the court's assent.
Often appears as...
- court's assent
- royal assent
Usage tips
Formal
verb
To say yes or agree to something.
The teacher asked if everybody understood the lesson and the students assented.
noun
The act of agreeing or approving something.
The project was implemented with the board's assent.
Often appears as...
- board's assent
- parental assent
noun
An agreement or approval, especially by someone who has the authority to make legal decisions.
The sale of the property received the court's assent.
Often appears as...
- court's assent
- royal assent
Usage tips
Formal
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Active Agreement
Use 'assent' to actively express agreement, not passive acceptance.
When the proposal was offered, she quickly assented, showing her enthusiasm.
Pro Tip 2/3Formal Yes
'Assent' is more formal than saying 'yes' and often used in official contexts.
The committee assented to the new regulations unanimously.
Pro Tip 3/3Group Decisions
Often used when groups agree on a decision together.
After a long discussion, the team assented to the leader's plan.
Compare with
acceptanceagreementapprovalauthorizationconcurrenceconsentpermissionsanction
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Video examples
Making waves: The power...
the concentration of salt ions. So, down you go, riding along the concentration gradient towards more comfortable conditions. For salt ions, however, their lower concentration at the surface, acts like an advertisement to the clamoring masses of salt molecules below who begin their assent.
Video examples
Investigating Rock...
been researching this area for years and he's convinced that some Atlantan refugees fled inland and built shrines to memorialize the lost city deciphering the shrine would help giorgos prove his theory no sir a real mental assent a burgeoning comapre barkos picomolar Oh
Video examples
Karen Armstrong: 2008...
In the 17th century, it narrowed its focus, for reasons that I'm exploring in a book I'm writing at the moment, to include -- to mean an intellectual assent to a set of propositions, a credo. "I believe:" it did not mean, "I accept certain creedal articles of faith."
Video examples
Making waves: The power...
the concentration of salt ions. So, down you go, riding along the concentration gradient towards more comfortable conditions. For salt ions, however, their lower concentration at the surface, acts like an advertisement to the clamoring masses of salt molecules below who begin their assent.
Video examples
Investigating Rock...
been researching this area for years and he's convinced that some Atlantan refugees fled inland and built shrines to memorialize the lost city deciphering the shrine would help giorgos prove his theory no sir a real mental assent a burgeoning comapre barkos picomolar Oh
Video examples
Karen Armstrong: 2008...
In the 17th century, it narrowed its focus, for reasons that I'm exploring in a book I'm writing at the moment, to include -- to mean an intellectual assent to a set of propositions, a credo. "I believe:" it did not mean, "I accept certain creedal articles of faith."
Example 1 of 3
Quote examples
Joseph P. Bradley
American Judge
As marriage and the family institution constitute the foundation and chief cornerstone of civil society, it is of the greatest moment that the marriage-tie should never be dissolved save for the most urgent reason. I cannot assent, however, to the doctrine that it should never be dissolved at all.
Quote examples
Christopher Hitchens
American Author
Just as the humble, unassuming, assenting 'O.K.' has deposed the more affirmative 'Yes,' so the little cringe and hesitation and approximation of 'like' are a help to young people who are struggling to negotiate the shoals and rapids of ethnic identity, the street, and general correctness.
Quote examples
John C. Calhoun
American Statesman
By nature, every individual has the right to govern himself; and governments, whether founded on majorities or minorities, must derive their right from the assent, expressed or implied, of the governed,, and be subject to such limitations as they may impose.
Quote examples
Stephen Jay Gould
American Scientist
In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms.
Quote examples
Seamus Heaney
Irish Poet
Nowadays, what an award gives is a sense of solidarity with the poetry guild, as it were: sustenance coming from the assent of your peers on the judging panel.
Quote examples
Mahatma Gandhi
Indian Leader
Every formula of every religion has in this age of reason, to submit to the acid test of reason and universal assent.
Quote examples
Aldous Huxley
English Novelist
That all men are equal is a proposition to which, at ordinary times, no sane human being has ever given his assent.
Quote examples
Nathaniel Hawthorne
American Novelist
You can get assent to almost any proposition so long as you are not going to do anything about it.
Quote examples
Al Franken
American Politician
I hope you realize, in a democracy, laughter is assent.
Quote examples
Georges Bataille
French Writer
Eroticism is assenting to life even in death.
Quote examples
Joseph P. Bradley
American Judge
As marriage and the family institution constitute the foundation and chief cornerstone of civil society, it is of the greatest moment that the marriage-tie should never be dissolved save for the most urgent reason. I cannot assent, however, to the doctrine that it should never be dissolved at all.
Quote examples
Christopher Hitchens
American Author
Just as the humble, unassuming, assenting 'O.K.' has deposed the more affirmative 'Yes,' so the little cringe and hesitation and approximation of 'like' are a help to young people who are struggling to negotiate the shoals and rapids of ethnic identity, the street, and general correctness.
Quote examples
John C. Calhoun
American Statesman
By nature, every individual has the right to govern himself; and governments, whether founded on majorities or minorities, must derive their right from the assent, expressed or implied, of the governed,, and be subject to such limitations as they may impose.
Quote examples
Stephen Jay Gould
American Scientist
In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms.
Quote examples
Seamus Heaney
Irish Poet
Nowadays, what an award gives is a sense of solidarity with the poetry guild, as it were: sustenance coming from the assent of your peers on the judging panel.
Quote examples
Mahatma Gandhi
Indian Leader
Every formula of every religion has in this age of reason, to submit to the acid test of reason and universal assent.
Quote examples
Aldous Huxley
English Novelist
That all men are equal is a proposition to which, at ordinary times, no sane human being has ever given his assent.
Quote examples
Nathaniel Hawthorne
American Novelist
You can get assent to almost any proposition so long as you are not going to do anything about it.
Quote examples
Al Franken
American Politician
I hope you realize, in a democracy, laughter is assent.
Quote examples
Georges Bataille
French Writer
Eroticism is assenting to life even in death.
Example 1 of 10
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