Insist
verbTo demand something forcefully, or to maintain firmly that something is true, refusing to give way.
How to spell insist
6 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce insist
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does insist mean?
- verbTo demand something forcefully, or to maintain firmly that something is true, refusing to give way.
Insist in a sentence
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The manager will insist on a written report before the deadline.
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Some clients insist that every invoice is checked twice.
Where does insist come from?
Language of origin: Latin
This word comes from the Latin insistere, which literally meant 'to stand on' or 'to stand firm upon something'. It was built from the prefix in-, meaning 'on' or 'upon', joined to the verb sistere, meaning 'to take a stand' or 'to set down'. From the idea of physically planting yourself on a spot, the meaning shifted to the figurative sense of holding your ground in an argument or pressing a demand. English took the word in during the early 1500s, partly through French insister. The same sistere root stands quietly inside its relatives 'persist', 'resist', and 'consist', which is a handy reminder that insist is spelled with the single, clean -sist ending rather than anything fancier.
How the word is built
- in- (on, upon)
- sist (from Latin sistere: to stand, take a stand)
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