Reassert

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To state or declare something again firmly to reinforce or confirm a position
2. To express an opinion or belief once more in a strong and clear manner
3. To affirm or emphasize a fact or belief again to make it unmistakably clear

Etymology: "Reassert" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "assert." The base verb "assert" traces back to Latin "asserere," formed from "ad-" ("to") and "serere" ("to join or bind"), so its original sense was closer to binding or joining something to oneself than to declaring it aloud. Through Latin's "assertus" and the Old French "asserter," it reached English, where "assert" came to mean stating something as true, and eventually to insisting on a right or claim. The "re-" prefix has an equally old lineage, descending from a Proto-Italic root and passing into Latin as a prefix meaning "back" or "again." English speakers attached it freely to existing verbs, so "reassert" was formed by combining the two parts rather than borrowed as a finished word. Its meaning follows directly from them: to bring a claim forward a second time with renewed force.

Synonyms: restate, reaffirm, reinforce, redeclare, reestablish

Antonyms: disclaim, deny, retract, abjure, renounce