certain

[ sur-tn ]
/ ˈsɜr tn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR certain ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pronoun

certain ones: Certain of the members declined the invitation.

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Idioms for certain

    for certain, without a doubt; surely: I know for certain that I have seen that face before.

Origin of certain

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Vulgar Latin *certānus, equivalent to Latin cert(us) sure, settled (cer- base of cernere to decide, + -tus past participle suffix) + -ānus -an

SYNONYMS FOR certain

1 convinced, satisfied. See sure.
4 indubitable, incontestable, irrefutable, incontrovertible, obvious, plain, clear.
5 determined.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR certain ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby certain

cerro de punta, cerro gordo, cerro tololo inter-american observatory, cert, cert., certain, certainly, certainty, certed, certes, certif.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to certain

positive, sure, convinced, real, genuine, undeniable, clear, safe, definite, absolute, true, precise, specified, specific, individual, various, particular, numerous, special, assertive

Example sentences from the Web for certain

British Dictionary definitions for certain

certain
/ (ˈsɜːtən) /

adjective

adverb

for certain definitely; without a doubthe will win for certain

determiner

  1. known but not specified or namedcertain people may doubt this
  2. (as pronoun; functioning as plural)certain of the members have not paid their subscriptions
named but not knownhe had written to a certain Mrs Smith

Word Origin for certain

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

Idioms and Phrases with certain

certain

see for certain.

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