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:
It would take time, however, to determine who they were, as the commission will need to ascertain whether the identity tags and Kuban shield actually belong to the two soldiers found.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
If the lawmakers wanted to ascertain U.S. policy, they could have asked the State Department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
We just never noticed because we kept looking down at our feet, trying to ascertain a way out.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
No one, so far as Bloom could ascertain, bore a grudge against Shorty.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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
The Council, if it ascertains that the facts are as alleged, shall proceed as provided in paragraphs 2, 4, and 5 of Article 7.
From The Geneva Protocol by David Hunter Miller
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
Further tests were done by a pathologist and forensic anthropologist, but a cause of death could not be ascertained.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
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
On inquiring further, I ascertained that the house had been a very small one in which he had been the only full-time employee.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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
On Monday evening, Assam Director General of Police GP Singh had said that authorities were ascertaining the exact number of people trapped.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2025
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
The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Vocabulary lists containing ascertain
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