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assertiveness

assertiveness

8 4.6
The quality of being confident and direct when saying what you think or want
  • noun
  • /əˈsɜrtɪvnəs/
translation icon : asertividad
  • By practicing assertiveness, she learned to communicate her needs directly without fear.
  • self-assertiveness
  • assertiveness skills
  • assertiveness training

OK, Your aggression, your assertiveness, your testosterone, it's a good thing.

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Examples

  • Finally, social workers could work directly with the medical team in an assertiveness training model.

    Academic text (1990)
  • For victims, this would include small-group and individual assertiveness and social skills training.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Thank God you took that assertiveness training course.

  • One area of importance in assertiveness is the ability to deal with criticism.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Parents were given opportunities to learn new skills in behavior management, assertiveness, or other relevant parenting skills.

    Academic text (1994)
  • I said firmly, so proud of my assertiveness in the face of this male aggression.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • However, two essential communication skills, active listening and assertiveness, can be taught before the co-authoring process begins.

    Academic text (1992)
  • It is far more useful to talk about healthy assertiveness, self advocacy, and self preservation.

  • Student characteristics such as self-esteem, assertiveness, and social skills are developed throughout a student's affective education.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In contrast, socialization in an individualistic society emphasizes assertiveness, autonomy, achievement, and self-reliance.

    Academic text (1997)

Synonyms

frankness
vsassertiveness
7 3.5

Open and honest talk that says exactly what you think

adds a stronger sense of personal confidence when speaking
directness
vsassertiveness
6 3.4

Honest, clear words and actions that say exactly what you mean

combines that clarity with confident expression of personal wishes
forthrightness
vsassertiveness
3 6.6

A way of speaking that is honest and direct

shares firmness but focuses more on confidence when expressing wants
outspokenness
vsassertiveness
2 6.3

Saying your thoughts and feelings freely, often in a direct way

is similarly open but emphasizes confident control when speaking
forcefulness
vsassertiveness
2 5.1

A strong, clear, and confident quality in speech, action, or physical strength

is about confident clarity rather than sheer intensity
assuredness
vsassertiveness
1 6.1

A feeling of confidence and calm in difficult situations

adds direct expression of wishes and opinions beyond calm certainty
straightforwardness
vsassertiveness
1 5.0

Being direct and honest without hiding what you think

pairs that simplicity with confident assertion of desires or opinions
self-assertion
vsassertiveness
6.9

To speak up confidently and defend your own opinions or rights

is confident and direct but less forceful in expression
self-assertiveness
vsassertiveness
6.3

Confidently saying what you think or want in a firm way

is confident and direct without necessarily being aggressive
downrightness
vsassertiveness
6.7

An open and direct way of speaking or acting

includes directness but specifically about confident self-expression
vocality
vsassertiveness
7.4

Being willing to speak openly and share opinions

adds steady self-confidence and directness when expressing personal wants

Antonyms

9 6.3

Accepting things without trying to change them

A willingness to accept someone else's authority and follow them

Compounds

1 5.0

A course that teaches people to say what they feel and need clearly and respectfully

Confidently saying what you think or want in a firm way

How Assertive

forcefulness
2 5.1
assertiveness
8 4.6
reserve
9 5.2
passivity
9 6.3

Surface Forms

assertiveness singular

Morphology

assertiveness = assertive (transparent) = assert + ive + ness

Formed by the regular derivation assert -> assertive -> assertiveness; the meaning is directly predictable from the components for learners.

Etymology

Assertiveness comes from the verb assert, from an old Latin word meaning 'to state or claim something with confidence'. So assertiveness is the habit of being confident and direct when you express your opinions.