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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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assert their agency

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "assert their agency" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts discussing empowerment, autonomy, or the ability of individuals or groups to make their own choices and take control of their circumstances. Example: "In the workshop, participants were encouraged to assert their agency and take charge of their personal development."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Instead, historians who came of age during the civil rights movement emphasized ways in which the former slaves asserted their agency, playing as important a role in their own liberation as Lincoln or the Union army.

And they assert their right to agency and self-determination even in the face of economic constraints.

News & Media

Huffington Post

After the song's release, across all sexual orientations, women's sexuality took a serious hit, and lesbian sexuality was similarly exploited: Girl-on-girl experimentation was seen as women lacking self-control rather than as women asserting their sexual agency.

News & Media

Huffington Post

A report by International Crisis Group, an NGO, counted 11 agencies asserting their interest, including provincial governments, the navy and the Bureau of Fisheries Administration.

News & Media

The Economist

Waters (1999) and Philip Kasinitz (1992) document how phenotypically black West Indian immigrants exercise agency in asserting their ethnic identity in order to differentiate themselves from native-born African Americans, but discrimination and violence aimed at all Blacks, regardless of ethnicity, strongly constrains such agency.

Science

SEP

In short, only humans are free and they only attain freedom through moral agency, by asserting their place in the human realm.

News & Media

Huffington Post

The company and other ratings agencies have prevailed by asserting their rights under the first amendment of the constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech".So the DoJ is taking a new approach, accusing the firm of knowing misrepresentation, which is not covered by the first amendment.

News & Media

The Economist

In their ruling, the five-member board decided unanimously that it should not assert the agency's jurisdiction in the case, essentially dodging the complex question at its core -- whether schools exert enough control over scholarship athletes for them to be considered employees.

News & Media

Huffington Post

And she comes to embrace defiance as a way to assert her agency.

The effect is to assert the agency of the artist and suggest that it is the mandate of feminists to break the rules of patriarchy — or any authoritarian system (even a description provided by another artist).

And both politics and writing, in different ways, exist in part to assert human agency in the face of trends that seem inexorable and impersonal — to hold up ideals even when fewer people are living up to them, to try to shape and redirect trends rather than taking them as a given, to mitigate the excesses of revolutions and try to preserve the best of the old even when the new comes rushing in.

News & Media

The New York Times
Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "assert their agency" when you want to emphasize the active role individuals or groups take in shaping their own lives or situations.

Common error

Avoid using "assert their agency" when describing situations where individuals are merely reacting to circumstances rather than actively shaping them. Ensure that the context reflects a deliberate act of taking control.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

60%

Authority and reliability

4.1/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "assert their agency" functions as a verbal phrase, indicating an action or process. It describes the act of individuals or groups actively exercising their power and autonomy to make independent choices and control their circumstances. Ludwig AI provides examples demonstrating the phrase in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "assert their agency" is grammatically correct and conveys the act of actively exercising one's power and autonomy. While Ludwig AI indicates its frequency is limited at this time, the phrase is generally acceptable and usable in written English across a variety of contexts, though it’s important to ensure that such contexts truly involve individuals or groups actively shaping their environment. Related phrases like "exercise their autonomy" and "claim their power" offer similar meanings with slight variations.

FAQs

How can I use "assert their agency" in a sentence?

You can use "assert their agency" to describe situations where individuals or groups actively take control and make independent choices. For example, "The former slaves asserted their agency by playing an important role in their own liberation."

What does it mean to "assert their agency"?

To "assert their agency" means to actively exercise one's power, autonomy, and ability to make independent choices and take control of one's own life or situation.

What can I say instead of "assert their agency"?

You can use alternatives like "exercise their autonomy", "claim their power", or "take control of their lives" depending on the context.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use the phrase "assert their agency"?

The phrase "assert their agency" is appropriate in contexts discussing empowerment, self-determination, and the ability of individuals or groups to make choices and shape their circumstances. It is often used in discussions about social justice, personal development, and human rights.

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: