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intr.v. as·sent·ed, as·sent·ing, as·sents To express agreement or acceptance, as of a proposal. n. 1. Agreement; concurrence: reached assent on a course of action. 2. Acquiescence; consent: gave my assent to the plan. [Middle English assenten, from Old French assentir, from Latin assentārī : ad-, ad- + sentīre, to feel; see sent- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] as·senter, as·sentor n. as·senting·ly adv. as·sentive adj. Synonyms: assent, agree, accede, acquiesce, consent, concur, subscribe These verbs denote acceptance of another's views, proposals, or actions. To assent is to give an affirmative response, as to a proposal or request: "He argued point by point that [the queen] knew of the plot, approved of it, assented to it" (John Guy). Agree suggests an assent that is given in recognition of shared interests or as a result of persuasive argument: They agreed to most of our proposed modifications but balked at any changes to the schedule. Accede, in contrast, implies that one person or group has yielded to the other: "She did accede to one of her mother's wishes: she wore a white dress" (Bill Turque). Acquiesce suggests passive assent because of inability or unwillingness to oppose: I acquiesced in their decision despite my misgivings. Consent implies voluntary agreement, especially from one with the authority to say no: The patient refused to consent to any further treatment. Concur suggests that one has independently reached the same conclusion as another: "I concurred with our incumbent in getting up a petition against the Reform Bill" (George Eliot). Subscribe indicates hearty approval: "I am contented to subscribe to the opinion of the best-qualified judge of our time" (Sir Walter Scott). |
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