1 aver | Definition of aver

aver

verb
\ ə-ˈvər How to pronounce aver (audio) \
averred; averring

Definition of aver

transitive verb

1 : to declare positively Mr. Murray avers that many large organizations in the private sector are run by curmudgeons like him …— Joseph Epstein

2 law

a : to verify or prove to be true in pleading a cause
b : to allege or assert in pleading

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Did You Know?

Since aver contains the "truth" root, it basically means "confirm as true". You may aver anything that you're sure of. In legal situations, aver means to state positively as a fact; thus, Perry Mason's clients aver that they are innocent, while the district attorney avers the opposite. If you make such a statement while under oath, and it turns out that you lied, you may have committed the crime of perjury.

Examples of aver in a Sentence

He averred that he was innocent. “I am innocent,” he averred.

Recent Examples on the Web

On the face of it, this would suggest that Floridians do not, as so many have averred, possess a unique brand of weirdness compared to the rest of the country. Chris Wilson, Time, "It Turns Out People From Florida Are Better at Guessing if a 'Florida Man' Story Really Happened in Florida," 24 July 2019 On the face of it, this would suggest that Floridians do not, as so many have averred, possess a unique brand of weirdness compared to the rest of the country. Chris Wilson, Time, "It Turns Out People From Florida Are Better at Guessing if a 'Florida Man' Story Really Happened in Florida," 24 July 2019 When Puccio left for the private sector a few months later, the Daily News reported that his former boss at the Justice Department, David Margolis, averred that Puccio could indeed get that proverbial ham-sandwich indictment. Ben Zimmer, WSJ, "‘Indict a Ham Sandwich’ Remains on the Menu for Judges, Prosecutors," 1 June 2018 Is the America so deeply divided between the powerful and the powerless as throughout his book Mr. Fraser avers? Joseph Epstein, WSJ, "‘Class Matters’ Review: The American Dream as Nightmare," 22 Mar. 2018 The worst that could happen, the money masters averred, was that investors would be lulled into reckless investments, taking on too much risk in the belief that the dangers of the marketplace had been tamed. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, "The Era of Easy Money Is Ending, and the World Is Bracing for Shocks," 6 Feb. 2018 German lore averred that two trees planted in front of the house of a newly married couple assured happiness and a locust, according to the Victorians, was symbolic of love beyond the grave. National Geographic, "See 10 Remarkable Trees, Each With a Special Story to Tell," 22 Apr. 2016 Unconfirmed reports from Bloomberg aver that the Mercedes-Benz B-Class crossover vehicle, which is due for a makeover in 2011 or 2012, will finally make it to America. Marty Jerome, WIRED, "Is Baby Benz Headed for America?," 31 July 2007 Porsche avers that the new GT2 RS will catapult to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and top out at an astronomical 211 mph. Steve Siler, Car and Driver, "2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Lots of Power, Lots of Want," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aver.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of aver

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for aver

Middle English averren, from Anglo-French averer, from Medieval Latin adverare to confirm as authentic, from Latin ad- + verus true — more at very entry 2

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More Definitions for aver

aver

verb

English Language Learners Definition of aver

formal : to say (something) in a very strong and definite way
\ ə-ˈvər How to pronounce aver (audio) \
averred; averring

Legal Definition of aver

: to assert or declare positively especially in a pleading : allege not necessary to aver the capacity of a party to sueU.S. Code

Other Words from aver

averment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on aver

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with aver

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for aver