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ascertain

[ as-er-teyn ]
/ ˌæs ərˈteɪn /
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See synonyms for: ascertain / ascertained / ascertaining / ascertainable on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine: to ascertain the facts.
Archaic. to make certain, clear, or definitely known.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of ascertain

1400–50; late Middle English, variant of assertain, acertain<Middle French acertain- (tonic stem of acertener to make certain), equivalent to a-a-5 + certaincertain

OTHER WORDS FROM ascertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to ascertain

find out, confirm, verify, determine, divine, double-check, dig, eye, read, fix, discover, tell, see, settle, identify, learn, peg, establish, check, size

Example sentences from the Web for ascertain

British Dictionary definitions for ascertain

ascertain
/ (ˌæsəˈteɪn) /

verb (tr)

to determine or discover definitely
archaic to make certain

Derived forms of ascertain

ascertainable, adjectiveascertainably, adverbascertainment, noun

Word Origin for ascertain

C15: from Old French acertener to make 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
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