assent
Meaning
official agreement to or approval of something.
to agree to or give official approval to something.
Structure
Usage
the board gave its assent to the proposed merger.
he nodded to signify his assent.
the bill cannot become law without the royal assent.
Etymology
the word 'assent' originates from the latin verb 'assentire', a compound of 'ad-' (to, towards) and 'sentire' (to feel, think). this literal meaning of "to feel towards" or "to direct one's mind to" evolved into the sense of agreeing with a feeling or opinion. it entered middle english via old french 'assentir', retaining the core notion of mental agreement. the modern abstract meaning preserves this logic, where to assent is to align one's feeling or judgment with a proposition, signifying agreement.
Analysis
'ad-' is a Latin prefix meaning 'to, toward'. 'sent' is from the Latin root 'sentire', meaning 'to feel, think'.