tr.v. as·sev·er·at·ed, as·sev·er·at·ing, as·sev·er·ates To declare seriously or positively; affirm. [Latin assevērāre, assevērāt- : ad-, ad- + sevērus, serious; see segh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] as·sev′er·ation n. as·sever·a′tive (-ə-rātĭv, -ər-ə-tĭv) adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.