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.
Her parents then took no measures to ascertain if the infection had been passed on and did not arrange for any medical visits or any vaccinations for their child.
From BBC
Investors are becoming increasingly nervous about problems mounting in the $3 trillion private credit market where some creditworthiness is deteriorating in some sectors and truthful valuations are hard to ascertain.
"Kavanagh took his time and used all his experience to rightly ascertain that contact continued inside the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick," he added.
From BBC
“With an asset this volatile, it’s impossible to ascertain when and where the bottom lies,” says Clark Bellin, president and chief investment officer at Bellwether Wealth.
From Barron's
Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli ordered "technical officials" to inspect the painting "to ascertain the nature of the intervention" and determine next steps.
From BBC
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.
