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certain
[ sur-tn ]
adjective
- free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure:
I am certain he will come.
Synonyms: satisfied
- destined; sure to happen (usually followed by an infinitive):
He is certain to be there.
- inevitable; bound to come:
They realized then that war was certain.
- established as true or sure; unquestionable; indisputable:
It is certain that he tried.
Synonyms: clear, plain, obvious, incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, indubitable
- fixed; agreed upon; settled:
on a certain day; for a certain amount.
Synonyms: determined
- definite or particular, but not named or specified:
A certain person phoned. He had a certain charm.
- that may be depended on; trustworthy; unfailing; reliable:
His aim was certain.
- some though not much:
a certain reluctance.
- Obsolete. steadfast.
pronoun
- certain ones:
Certain of the members declined the invitation.
certain
/ ˈsɜːtən /
adjective
- postpositive positive and confident about the truth of something; convinced
I am certain that he wrote a book
- usually postpositive definitely known
it is certain that they were on the bus
- usually postpositive sure; bound; destined
he was certain to fail
- decided or settled upon; fixed
the date is already certain for the invasion
- unfailing; reliable
his judgment is certain
- moderate or minimum
to a certain extent
- make certain ofto ensure (that one will get something); confirm
adverb
- for certaindefinitely; without a doubt
he will win for certain
determiner
- known but not specified or named
certain people may doubt this
- ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )
certain of the members have not paid their subscriptions
- named but not known
he had written to a certain Mrs Smith
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of certain1
Idioms and Phrases
- for certain, without a doubt; surely:
I know for certain that I have seen that face before.
More idioms and phrases containing certain
see for certain .Example Sentences
“And it had certain challenges in it that were of concern, and I wanted to see if I could pull that off.”
But on the compound, it also encourages a certain callousness, a willingness to not intervene when the worst happens.
One ensures waste doesn’t exceed state-established limits for certain toxic substances when the waste is in a solid form.
At The American Prospect, Robert Kuttner highlights how Trump’s recent pivots "suggest a certain vulnerability" that presents an opportunity for Democrats:
"I got a lot of messages and a lot of apologies, which was amazing to receive because you never know how people deal with certain situations and how they react," she said.
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When To Use
What are other ways to say certain?
Someone who is certain of something is free from doubt or reservation about it. How is certain different from sure, confident, and positive? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
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.
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