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Not called for by the circumstances; without reason, cause, or proof; adopted or asserted without any good ground; as, a gratuitous assumption. Acts of gratuitous self-humiliation. De Quincye. -- Gra*tu"i*tous*ly, adv. -- Gra*tu"i*tous*ness, n.

or reason for support; not authorized; false; as, groundless fear; a groundless report or assertion. -- Ground"less*ly, adv. -- Ground"less*ness, n.

establish the identity of; to prove to be the same with something described, claimed, or asserted; as, to identify stolen property.

The condition of being the same with something described or asserted, or of possessing a character claimed; as, to establish the identity of stolen goods.

One who is impeccable; esp., one of a sect of Gnostic heretics who asserted their sinlessness. God is infallible, impeccable, and absolutely perfect. P. Skelton.

y fairly be understood, though not expressed in words. Whatever things, therefore, it was asserted that the king might do, it was a necessary implication that there were other things which he could not do. Hallam.

Vain boasting or assertions repeated to the prejudice of another's right; false claim. Mozley & W.

law, right, justice, propriety, or duty. That to the height of this great argument I may assert eternal providence, And justify the ways of God to men. Milton. Unless the oppression is so extreme as to justify revolution, it would not justify the evil of breaking up a government. E. Everett.

Neglect; negligence; remissness; neglect to do a thing at the proper time; delay to assert a claim. It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney. Macaulay.

; to relinquish; to surrender; as, to lay down one's life; to lay down one's arms. (c) To assert or advance, as a proposition or principle. -- To lay forth. (a) To extend at length; (reflexively) to exert one's self; to expatiate. [Obs.] (b) To lay out (as a corpse). [Obs.] Shak. -- To lay hands on, to seize. -- To…

To allege; to assert. [Obs.] Bp. Fisher.

An ornament much used in Egyptian architecture, generally asserted to have been suggested by the Egyptian water lily.

ontact. The existence of such a force, and its potentiality for the cure of disease, were asserted by Mesmer in

an object presents itself to the mind. According to Kant, the quality of propositions, as assertory, problematical, or apodeictic.

oposition connects the predicate and subject, whether by simple, contingent, or necessary assertion; the form of the syllogism, as determined by the quantity and quality of the constituent proposition; mood.

which accompanies a moderate estimate of one's own worth and importance; absence of self-assertion, arrogance, and presumption; humility respecting one's own merit.

en, as with a nail; to bind or hold, as to a bargain or to acquiescence in an argument or assertion; hence, to catch; to trap. When they came to talk of places in town, you saw at once how I nailed them. Goldsmith.

The act of denying; assertion of the nonreality or untruthfulness of anything; declaration that something is not, or has not been, or will not be; denial; -- the opposite of Ant: affirmation. Our assertions and negations should be yea and nay. Rogers.

Denying; implying, containing, or asserting denial, negation or refusal; returning the answer no to an inquiry or request; refusing assent; as, a negative answer; a negative opinion; -- opposed to Ant: affirmative. If thou wilt confess, Or else be impudently negative. Shak. Denying me any power of a negative voice. Eik…

cates the doctrine of nihilism; one who believes or teaches that nothing can be known, or asserted to exist.