# assent

/əˈsɛnt/ (US) · /ɐsˈɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/assent
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. official agreement

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

official or formal agreement to a suggestion, plan, or request.

For teachers: the expression of approval or agreement, particularly after thoughtful consideration or by an official authority.

- The director gave her assent to the new project after reading the final report.
- The proposal cannot proceed to the implementation phase until it receives the formal assent of the board of governors.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'to'.

Teaching tip: In legal contexts like the UK parliament, 'Royal Assent' is the specific term for a monarch's formal approval of a bill.

### 2. to agree formally

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to agree to a suggestion or a plan after thinking about it.

For teachers: to express agreement or to yield to a proposal; functions as an intransitive verb.

- The committee members nodded to show they assented to the changes.
- Although he had initial reservations, the minister eventually assented to the terms of the treaty to avoid further diplomatic tension.

Usage: This verb is intransitive and is almost always followed by the preposition 'to'.

Teaching tip: This is much more formal than 'agree' and is rarely used in casual conversation.

### 3. transfer of property

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

a legal document used to pass ownership of a house or land to a person named in a will.

For teachers: a legal instrument by which an executor conveys real estate to a beneficiary under the terms of a will.

- The lawyer prepared the formal assent to transfer the house to the son.
- The executor signed the assent, effectively vesting the legal title of the estate in the deceased's primary heir.

Usage: Used as a countable noun in property law.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized legal sense that students will only encounter in probate or property law contexts.

## Examples

- The director gave her assent to the new project.
- The proposed law cannot take effect until it receives royal assent from the monarch.
- After weeks of intense negotiation, the committee finally gave its unanimous assent to the revised environmental regulations, clearing the way for immediate implementation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.