certainty

American  

[sur-tn-tee] / ˈsɜr tn ti /

noun

plural

certainties

1. the state of being certain.

   Synonyms:

   confidence, assurance, certitude

2. something certain; an assured fact.

   Synonyms:

   truth

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idioms

1. for / of a certainty, certainly; without a doubt.

   I suspect it, but I don't know it for a certainty.

certainty British  

/ ˈsɜːtəntɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being certain

2. something established as certain or inevitable

3. without doubt

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Related Words

See belief.

Other Word Forms

• noncertainty noun

Etymology

Origin of certainty

1250–1300; Middle English certeinte < Anglo-French, equivalent to certein certain + -te -ty ²

Example Sentences

I say this with a certainty I didn’t know I felt.

From Literature

“It will discourage companies from spamming the system and provide certainty to employers who actually need to bring the top-tier talent from overseas,” Rogers said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The “ticking fee” shows the company’s “confidence in the speed and certainty of our regulatory pathway,” Paramount Skydance says in a letter to the Warner Bros.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We are making meaningful enhancements — backing this offer with billions of dollars, providing shareholders with certainty in value, a clear regulatory path, and protection against market volatility,” he said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

But the president has offered little certainty about which firm he favours.

From BBC

Related Words

• confidence
• inevitability
• trust