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Definitions

certain

[sur-tn] / ˈsɜr tn /






Usage

What are other ways to say certain?

Certain, one of a handful of adjectives indicating full belief and trust that something is true, suggests that there are definite reasons that have freed one from doubt. Confident emphasizes the strength of the belief or the certainty of expectation felt. Positive implies emphatic certainty, which may even become overconfidence or dogmatism. Sure, the simplest and most general term, expresses mere absence of doubt. 


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Certain types of cash-value life insurance can also play a role in indirectly reducing or even avoiding some RMDs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

Certain bacteria in the mouth help convert nitrate from food into compounds that eventually support the production of nitric oxide.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

Certain birds possess impressive individual talents—memorizing where hundreds of caches of food are buried, navigating thousands of miles over oceans—but do any species excel across the board?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Certain countries will be faster to bring back production in a benign scenario.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Certain that he was a genius, she treated the little boy as if he were an adult.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow




Vocabulary lists containing certain


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