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self-assertion

self-assertion

6.9
To speak up confidently and defend your own opinions or rights
  • noun
  • /ˌsɛlf əˈsɜrʃən/
translation icon : autoafirmación
  • He practiced self-assertion by standing up for his beliefs during the discussion.
  • self-assertion and autonomy
  • human self-assertion
  • political self-assertion

Examples

  • Yeltsin's vulnerability to military attack strengthened republican fears, while his boldness enhanced their self-assertion.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Additionally, individual counseling sessions are used to develop more effective methods of problem-solving and self-assertion.

    Academic text (2005)
  • And this amounts to a potential for self-assertion in the face of an indifferent and hostile nature.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Free speech is a quintessential constitutional right because it is essential to politics, research, and self-assertion.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The logic of competition induces maximum self-assertion, contrary to the collective good.

    Academic text (1992)
  • First, the farm represents material evidence of Jake's self-assertion and personal achievement, despite the overwhelming odds against him.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The act of writing, for a marginalized individual, is inevitably a subversive act of self-assertion.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The communicative styles in American culture can be characterized as precise, logical, verbal, and valuing self-assertion.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Engaging in self-assertion can help individuals express their needs in a confident manner.

  • During the meeting, her self-assertion about her project ideas impressed everyone present.

Synonyms

assertion
vsself-assertion
168 4.0

A confident statement made without showing proof

is about ongoing expression and defense of personal rights and desires
assertiveness
vsself-assertion
8 4.6

The quality of being confident and direct when saying what you think or want

is more forceful, often defending rights and strong wishes
outspokenness
vsself-assertion
2 6.3

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

focuses on confident defense and force rather than blunt openness
self-assertiveness
vsself-assertion
6.3

Confidently saying what you think or want in a firm way

is firm but less aggressive, focusing on confident defense of rights

Antonyms

21 4.6

Not feeling sure about what you can do or your decisions

Behaving quietly and not trying to get attention

How Assertive

domination
102 4.7
aggression
101 3.5
forcefulness
2 5.1
self-assertion
6.9
assertion
168 4.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

self-assertion = self + assertion (transparent) = self + assert + ion

The meaning is the straightforward combination of 'self' + 'assertion' (an assertion about oneself), so learners who know the components can derive the meaning.

Etymology

Self-assertion is made of self, meaning 'your own', and assert, meaning 'to say or claim firmly'. So self-assertion is confidently speaking up for your own opinions or rights.