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Assent


ASSENT', noun [Latin assensus, from assentior, to assent of ad and sentio, to think.]

1. The act of the mind in admitting, or agreeing to, the truth of a proposition.

Faith is the assent to any proposition, on the credit of the proposer.

2. Consent; agreement to a proposal, respecting some right or interest; as, the bill before the house has the assent of a great majority of the members.

The distinction between assent and consent seems to be this:assent is the agreement to an abstract proposition. We assent to a statement, but we do not consent to it. Consent is an agreement to some proposal or measure which affects the rights or interest of the consenter. We consent to a proposal of marriage. This distinction however is not always observed. [See Consent.]

3. Accord; agreement. 2 Chronicles 18:12.

ASSENT', verb intransitive To admit as true; to agree, yield or concede, or rather to express an agreement of the mind to what is alleged, or proposed.

The Jews also assented, saying these things are so.

Acts 24:9.

It is sometimes used for consent, or an agreement to something affecting the rights or interest of the person assenting. But to assent to the marriage of a daughter is less correct than to consent.