ascertain
Americanverb (used with object)
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to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine.
to ascertain the facts.
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Archaic. to make certain, clear, or definitely known.
verb
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to determine or discover definitely
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archaic to make certain
Usage
What are other ways to say ascertain?
To ascertain something is to determine it or learn it with certainty or assurance. How is ascertain different from the learn, discover, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- ascertainable adjective
- ascertainably adverb
- ascertainer noun
- ascertainment noun
- nonascertainable adjective
- nonascertainableness noun
- nonascertainably adverb
- nonascertainment noun
- preascertain verb (used with object)
- preascertainment noun
- unascertainable adjective
- unascertainably adverb
- unascertained adjective
- well-ascertained adjective
Etymology
Origin of ascertain
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, variant of acertain, assertain, from Middle French acertain-, stem of acertener “to make certain”; equivalent to a- 5 + certain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It is crucial to ascertain whether similar drivers of hesitancy" affect routine vaccinations for other contagious diseases such as measles or the flu, they wrote in a separate commentary in The Lancet.
From Barron's
"The final picture is going be difficult to ascertain immediately but I think over the coming days ... and I would dare to say we're probably talking low thousands," he said.
From BBC
Internet access has been blocked for most Iranians since Thursday, making it difficult to ascertain if protests are still taking place.
"Thus, the council and the SAG intend to commission a formal process of independent forward-looking review undertaken by an external law firm to ascertain what can be improved from a governance perspective."
From BBC
Astute observers will be aspired and astonished by so many assurgent and assistive technologies to ascertain, with aspects that assault all known associated assumptions and assertions.
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.
