Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Insist \In*sist"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Insisted}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Insisting}.] [F. insister, L. insistere to set foot upon,
   follow, persist; pref. in- in + sistere to stand, cause to
   stand. See {Stand}.]
   1. To stand or rest; to find support; -- with in, on, or
      upon. [R.] --Ray.

   2. To take a stand and refuse to give way; to hold to
      something firmly or determinedly; to be persistent,
      urgent, or pressing; to persist in demanding; -- followed
      by on, upon, or that; as, he insisted on these conditions;
      he insisted on going at once; he insists that he must have
      money.

            Insisting on the old prerogative.     --Shak.

            Without further insisting on the different tempers
            of Juvenal and Horace.                --Dryden.

   Syn: {Insist}, {Persist}.

   Usage: Insist implies some alleged right, as authority or
          claim. Persist may be from obstinacy alone, and either
          with or against rights. We insist as against others;
          we persist in what exclusively relates to ourselves;
          as, he persisted in that course; he insisted on his
          friend's adopting it. --C. J. Smith.

Source : WordNet®

insist
     v 1: be insistent and refuse to budge; "I must insist!" [syn: {take
          a firm stand}]
     2: beg persistently and urgently; "I importune you to help
        them" [syn: {importune}]
     3: assert to be true; "The letter asserts a free society" [syn:
         {assert}]