asseverate \uh-SEV-uh-rayt\, transitive verb:
To affirm or declare positively or earnestly.
"But of course it is!" asseverates Herman Woodlife.
--Miles Kington, "Child slavery: the half-truth," Independent, June 12, 1998
"Castro's been known to snow people, but he didn't snow me," Mr. Weicker asseverated.
--"Fading Fidel and his gulled groupies," Washington Times, July 6, 2001
Mr. Vidal asseverates that McVeigh is "very, very bright." He writes with "perfect" spelling, punctuation and grammar.
--R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., "When grim opportunity knocks . . .," Washington Times, May 11, 2001
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Asseverate comes from Latin asseverare, "to assert seriously or earnestly," from ad- + severus, "severe, serious."