assent 1 of 2

assent

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word assent distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of assent are accede, acquiesce, agree, consent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When might accede be a better fit than assent?

The meanings of accede and assent largely overlap; however, accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When is acquiesce a more appropriate choice than assent?

While in some cases nearly identical to assent, acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

When would agree be a good substitute for assent?

The synonyms agree and assent are sometimes interchangeable, but agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

In what contexts can consent take the place of assent?

In some situations, the words consent and assent are roughly equivalent. However, consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When can subscribe be used instead of assent?

While the synonyms subscribe and assent are close in meaning, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assent
Verb
But the Lebanese government requested the move, and the majority of the Lebanese parliament was ready to assent to the court. William Harris, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2011 Some of them assented to a ceremonial final flight, a last twirl for the cameras and dignitaries, like the Parisian leg of the Tour de France. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
Any business left unfinished at the time of dissolution will fall away, and any bills that have not received royal assent cannot be carried over to the new government. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025 Without assent from a majority of lawmakers, the report is expected to stay under wraps. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for assent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assent
Verb
  • This year was quite tumultuous, everyone can agree on that.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Last week, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a partial and tentative ceasefire in the Black Sea region.
    Luke Garrett, NPR, 30 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Before this recent trend of Congressional acquiescence, Republican President Ronald Reagan issued 78 vetoes in his eight years in office.
    David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Ukraine has consented to a ceasefire proposed weeks ago by Washington.
    Yehor Konovalov and Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • At the hearing — held a day after Adams announced Mastro’s appointment — Sullivan initially gave Oakley’s lawyer two weeks to file a motion for sanctions against MSG and another two for Mastro to respond, a timeline Oakley’s lawyer consented to, the transcript reviewed by The News shows.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • When the transaction was unveiled in December, UMG said it was expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Listen to this article A bill that would ban transgender women from collegiate sports in Indiana will head to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk after the Senate gave final approval to the bill Thursday.
    Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • However, the parties involved failed to come to any agreement before that deal expired at the end of the year.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Numerous college athletes have already signed agreements with schools outlining their terms of payment for the 2025-26 academic year.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • While many polls show that acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights has generally increased over the past 20 years, most Americans are less supportive of transgender girls and women participating in women's sports.
    Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Ars Technica Addendum and Your California Privacy Rights.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Updated on April 3 with SpaceX's confirmation that Booster 14 will launch on Starship Flight 9. Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
  • During his confirmation hearing last month, Oz vowed to empower patients to take charge of their health care and crack down on fraud, waste and abuse to safeguard federal health programs.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • By Jenna Ryu April 2, 2025 Collage: Self; Source Images: Smash Kitchen, Mat Hayward/Getty Images Forget words of affirmation.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 2 Apr. 2025
  • There’s also the apartment’s construction, to something of an affirmation of the value of art to individuals and communities.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assent. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on assent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!