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