as·sent
(ə-sĕnt′)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
Indo-European roots.]
as·sent′er, as·sen′tor n.
as·sent′ing·ly adv.
as·sen′tive 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).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
assentor
(əˈsɛntə) n (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) government Brit any of the eight voters legally required to endorse the nomination of a candidate in a parliamentary or local election in addition to the nominator and seconder
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014