ascertain
Usage
What are other ways to say ascertain?
To ascertain is to verify facts by inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about an event. To learn is to add to one's knowledge or information: to learn a language. The verb discover is used with objective clauses as a synonym of learn in order to suggest that the new information acquired is surprising to the learner: I discovered that she had been married before. To detect implies becoming aware of something that had been obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning.
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.
See Examples For:
On Saturday Greek police said they were fast-tracking toxicology reports in order to ascertain the cause of her death, potentially "in the coming days".
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
“We are working to ascertain his identity and the motivations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Technological limitations make it impossible to ascertain precisely where Misiorowski ranks in the pantheon of baseball’s great fastball artists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
That’s what “I Shot Andy Warhol” wants the viewer to ascertain.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026
I told her I would ascertain the situation.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Henry plays it safe: He ascertains John is gay so shares his chapters via mail.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2022
On the other hand, logical analysis ascertains whether the premises of an argument support the conclusion.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
“Insikt Group ascertains with high confidence that the top tools on underground forums will continue to change,” the report said.
From Fox News ● Jul. 27, 2019
“The court looks at the impact and the motivation - if it is an ethical violation, if it is an administrative violation - and then ascertains if the punishment fits the crime,” Grevemberg said.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 2, 2018
Nor do I know what ascertains the date of any of them; or removes the date of the composition of any one of them beyond the middle ages.
The researchers also assessed severity of CTE and found a connection between high grade CTE and dementia before death, with the latter ascertained by the players' medical notes and interviews with family members.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
A third person whose injuries had yet to be ascertained was in the process of being brought to hospital.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
We drove alongside some of the vehicles, peered in windows, and ascertained it was nothing.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025
She’s ascertained that she’s not a child and not an adult; not the sick little girl named Marcy who she used to be, nor her maker’s favorite.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2025
“Our own investigation has ascertained that the witnesses were bribed to lie about what truly occurred. Further, their identities have been tampered with, and we can’t locate them.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
The export control amounts to a de facto ban on the model since Anthropic has no way of ascertaining the nationality of its users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Her petition said they are still ascertaining the assets to be identified as separate and community property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2024
“Sourcing gold from the UAE is notoriously risky,” the report said, describing the difficulty in ascertaining the origins of the refined gold.
From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2024
"I am writing this letter to you, with the main purpose of ascertaining your feelings towards a subject well known to both of us," it began.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2024
“Miss Miggery, my dear, I do not want to appear too forward so early in our acquaintance, but may I inquire, am I right in ascertaining that you have aspirations?”
From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo
Vocabulary lists containing ascertain
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