certainly

[ sur-tn-lee ]

/ ˈsɜr tn li /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR certainly ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

with certainty; without doubt; assuredly: I'll certainly be there.

yes, of course: Certainly, take the keys.

surely; to be sure: He certainly is successful.

Nearby words

cerro gordo, cerro tololo inter-american observatory, cert, cert., certain, certainly, certainty, certed, certes, certif., certifiable

Origin of certainly

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at certain, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for certainly

Certainly, she seems to command near-total devotion among her clients.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The well, ghost or no ghost, is certainly a piece of history with a bold presence.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They will do it,” Revels declared, “as certainly as the sun shines in the heavens.
The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate|Philip Dray|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Certainly paid paternity leave is part of it (and in the U.S., we need paid maternity and paternity leave).
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I am fortunate that I have never been deathly ill, but whenever I have the stomach flu, I most certainly feel like I am dying.
Why My Norovirus Panic Makes Me Sick|Lizzie Crocker|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If my uncle Doncaster were such a man, I should certainly make up to him greatly!
Modern Flirtations|Catherine Sinclair
The outlines were more rugged and varied than those of Samoa, and the growth of bush was certainly more luxuriant.
Stevenson's Shrine|Laura Stubbs
Certainly he never again found himself so well satisfied, or so much at home.
The Education of Henry Adams|Henry Adams
She had never owned anything so fine, and certainly it was most becoming.
A Little Girl in Old Washington|Amanda M. Douglas
I cannot tell you exactly what she felt when she saw Nino from her lofty window, but she was certainly glad with her whole heart.
A Roman Singer|F. Marion Crawford

British Dictionary definitions for certainly

certainly

/ (ˈsɜːtənlɪ) /

adverb

with certainty; without doubthe certainly rides very well

sentence substitute

by all means; definitely: used in answer to questions

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

Word Origin and History for certainly

certainly

adv.

c.1300, in all main modern senses, from certain + -ly (2).

certainly

adverb

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Origin of certainly

Examples from the Web for certainly

British Dictionary definitions for certainly

certainly

adverb

sentence substitute

Word Origin and History for certainly

certainly