assertive

adjective

as·​ser·​tive ə-ˈsər-tiv 

a-

1

: disposed to or characterized by bold or confident statements and behavior

an assertive leader

2

: having a strong or distinctive flavor or aroma

assertive wines

assertively adverb

assertiveness noun

Synonyms

• aggressive
• ambitious
• enterprising
• fierce
• go-getting
• high-pressure
• in-your-face
• militant
• pushy
• self-asserting
• self-assertive

Choose the Right Synonym for assertive

aggressive, militant, assertive, self-assertive mean obtrusively energetic especially in pursuing particular goals.

aggressive implies a disposition to dominate often in disregard of others' rights or in determined and energetic pursuit of one's ends.

aggressive in his business dealings

militant also implies a fighting disposition but suggests not self-seeking but devotion to a cause, movement, or principle.

militant protesters rallied against the new law

assertive suggests bold self-confidence in expression of opinion.

the more assertive speakers dominated the forum

self-assertive connotes forwardness or brash self-confidence.

a self-assertive young upstart

Examples of assertive in a Sentence

When my mother brought my baby sister home on the train from the Chicago adoption agency, she had hired a woman from the South named Arizona, much younger than Hope, vigorous, boisterous, taller, darker, and less acclimated to the behavior expected of servants in an upscale Wasp suburb up North. She was a blithe spirit, as I remember her, assertive, gleeful, expansive, loud and goofy with me when, to tease her, I'd pull on the bow of her apron strings … —Edward Hoagland, Harper's, July 2004

Don't substitute corn syrup or molasses for cane syrup. Corn syrup is thinner, lighter and milder than cane syrup, and molasses is thicker, darker and much more assertive. —Denise Landis, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2002

One of the points I think that's important is the way in which the United States has responded to the initiatives in the African Renaissance, and a lot of the developments that we have seen, in fact, have their roots in Africa. What it means for U.S. policy is that the Africans themselves are being much more assertive than they have been in the past. —Emerge, June 1998

Daily newspaper in Chicago metro region seeks aggressive, assertive crime reporter who thrives on getting obligatory … items done fast in order to devote time to colorful stories about villains, victims and everything in between. —Editor & Publisher, 31 Oct. 1998

Their daughter is an assertive little girl.

If you want people to listen to your opinions, you'll need to learn to be more assertive.

Recent Examples on the Web

And Munir, who is known for his hardline stance on Hindu-nationalist Modi, has a reputation of being more assertive than his predecessor Qamar Javed Bajwa. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

Seely also believes that ever since the Chicago Public Library started working with mental health consultant NAMI Chicago, staffers have been more assertive in issuing harsher suspensions for patrons who are verbally abusive toward them. —Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025

In 2020, he was awarded South Carolina’s top honor for assertive journalism. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025

Prima loved Heiss’s strong head and the assertive spread of Heiss’s legs in the chair. —Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 4 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see assert

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assertive

• self-assertive

Rhymes for assertive

• furtive

Kids Definition

assertive

adjective

as·​sert·​ive

ə-ˈsərt-iv,

a-

: having a bold or confident manner

assertively adverb

assertiveness noun