How did John Dewey describe truth as a warranted assertion?

John Dewey described a "warranted assertion" as his functional equivalent for the traditional concept of truth. Within his framework of instrumentalism, Dewey argued that inquiry is triggered by problematic or doubtful conditions, and the goal of this intelligent conduct is to resolve those conditions.1

A "warranted assertion" is the outcome of this competent, self-corrective inquiry. Rather than viewing truth as a static correspondence to external facts, Dewey identified it with the successful resolution of a situation through experimental determination. Because inquiry is an evaluative procedure, ideas function as tools or hypotheses that predict future consequences; an assertion is "warranted" when these ideas are tested and verified through rigorous, ongoing investigation. Thus, for Dewey, truth is not a final, fixed state but a process of maturing and refining knowledge to better navigate and control experience for human benefit.12