Assecondare

Assecondare is the Italian transitive verb that means to satisfy or comply with someone’s wishes, requests, or desires. It can denote granting a request, indulging preferences, or pleasing someone by yielding to what is asked. Common objects include una richiesta (a request), i desideri (the desires), or le esigenze di qualcuno (someone’s needs).

In use, assecondare carries a generally neutral to positive connotation, often implying a deliberate action to align with another person’s preferences. It is more formal than accontentare and can appear in everyday speech as well as in administrative, political, or literary contexts. It is typical to see constructions such as assecondare una richiesta, assecondare i desideri del pubblico, or assecondare le prerogative di qualcuno.

Nuances and related terms: assecondare is closer to “to comply with” or “to go along with” than to merely “to satisfy,” which can be broader or milder in tone. Synonyms include accontentare (to satisfy, often more general), concedere (to grant), soddisfare (to satisfy), and, in some contexts, obedire (to obey). Differences can affect formality and emphasis; for example, concedere focuses on granting a privilege, while assecondare emphasizes agreement with the other’s wishes.

Etymology and history: the origin is debated, but assecondare is generally regarded as related to secondare, with a prefix a- that reinforces the sense of going along with or supporting someone’s request. The term is well established in modern Italian and appears across formal and informal registers.

See also: accontentare, concedere, soddisfare, rispettare.

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