asseverate 
February 13, 2005 | 02:10

Dictionary.com/asseverate:

asseverate (uh-SEV-uh-rayt) transitive verb

To declare seriously or positively; affirm.

[Latin assevrre, assevrt- : ad-, ad- + sevrus, serious; see segh- in Indo-European Roots.]

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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