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View synonyms for certain

certain

[ sur-tn ]

adjective

  1. free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure:

    I am certain he will come.

    Synonyms: satisfied

  2. destined; sure to happen (usually followed by an infinitive):

    He is certain to be there.

  3. inevitable; bound to come:

    They realized then that war was certain.

  4. established as true or sure; unquestionable; indisputable:

    It is certain that he tried.

    Synonyms: clear, plain, obvious, incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, indubitable

  5. fixed; agreed upon; settled:

    on a certain day; for a certain amount.

    Synonyms: determined

  6. definite or particular, but not named or specified:

    A certain person phoned. He had a certain charm.

  7. that may be depended on; trustworthy; unfailing; reliable:

    His aim was certain.

  8. some though not much:

    a certain reluctance.

  9. Obsolete. steadfast.


pronoun

  1. certain ones:

    Certain of the members declined the invitation.

certain

/ ˈsɜːtən /

adjective

  1. postpositive positive and confident about the truth of something; convinced

    I am certain that he wrote a book

  2. usually postpositive definitely known

    it is certain that they were on the bus

  3. usually postpositive sure; bound; destined

    he was certain to fail

  4. decided or settled upon; fixed

    the date is already certain for the invasion

  5. unfailing; reliable

    his judgment is certain

  6. moderate or minimum

    to a certain extent

  7. make certain of
    to ensure (that one will get something); confirm
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


adverb

  1. for certain
    definitely; without a doubt

    he will win for certain

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

determiner

    1. known but not specified or named

      certain people may doubt this

    2. ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )

      certain of the members have not paid their subscriptions

  1. named but not known

    he had written to a certain Mrs Smith

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of certain1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin certānus (unrecorded), from Latin cert(us) “sure, settled” (adjective use of past participle of cernere “to decide, separate, sift”) + -ānus -an
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Word History and Origins

Origin of certain1

C13: from Old French, from Latin certus sure, fixed, from cernere to discern, decide
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. for certain, without a doubt; surely:

    I know for certain that I have seen that face before.

More idioms and phrases containing certain

see for certain .
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Example Sentences

There are certain people you meet, and right away you can tell they have a good heart.

To that end, NBCU will effectively tailor the measurement program to take into account non-advertising factors specific to certain types of advertisers.

From Digiday

James Robinson, who has spent decades researching why certain states and societies prosper, he’s come to a more nuanced understanding.

Initially, the task force focused almost entirely on trying to keep the virus out of the country, rather than preparing for an all-but-certain outbreak in the United States, these people said.

It was an isolated examination of a certain time period, one that we’re now past.

Certain features of its history suggest why this may be the case.

Unlike the Soviet Union at a certain period in history, the Russian economy does not hold a candle to that of the United States.

I believe in the power of institutions—Congress, public policy, certain ideas about politics—that last for a long time.

At least for now, because few things about this dispute are absolutely certain.

And a certain presumed presidential candidate needs to be doing it, too.

On certain of the stems the fertile cone appears and the spores are ripened about June, after which the process withers.

The possibilities of certain branches of teaching have been altogether revolutionized by the cinematograph.

M'Bongo and his whole court are now clothed, I am happy to say, at least to a certain extent.

After a bit of waiting, Mac decided that the smoke was floating from a certain direction, and we began to edge carefully that way.

He has secured the release of certain Spanish prisoners, and is building two ships.

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When To Use

What are other ways to say certain?

Someone who is certain of something is free from doubt or reservation about it. How is certain different from sure, confident, and positive? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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