averer

Averer is an English term that can function as a rare noun or simply as the agent noun form of the verb to aver. The verb aver means to declare or affirm something as true, often in formal or legal contexts. The averer, if used, denotes a person who avers or asserts a fact or proposition.

Etymology and form: The verb aver derives from Middle English averen, from Old French averer, with roots commonly linked to Latin verus meaning true. The agent noun is formed by adding -er to the verb, yielding averer for “one who avers.”

Usage and context: In contemporary writing, averer is infrequently used and is typically regarded as archaic, pedantic, or stylistically marked. In legal or bureaucratic prose, one might encounter formulations that reference an averer in describing who asserts a fact, but even there it is uncommon. More often, writers use established alternatives such as the party asserts, the plaintiff alleges, or the averment to refer to the act of asserting rather than to a person.

Examples: The common, natural phrasing is: The defendant asserts that the contract is valid. If one uses the noun form, a clearer modern variant is: The party making the assertion contends that the contract is valid.

See also: aver, assertion, avowal, claimant.