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:
“We are working to ascertain his identity and the motivations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Without further information, it is impossible to ascertain their validity.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 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
The animal soon learns it must submit, and quickly ascertains you have no desire to hurt it.
From The Dog by Dinks
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
Officials say their cause of death will be ascertained after a post-mortem examination.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
We drove alongside some of the vehicles, peered in windows, and ascertained it was nothing.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025
As for Mr and Mrs Taylor themselves, I have ascertained that they ran the village green grocery here from the twenties until their retirement three years ago.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
The return on the S&P 500 isn’t based on picking winners or ascertaining market sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 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
"Studying isolated enzymes is a powerful tool for ascertaining their activity and drawing conclusions about their functional role inside the plant cell," Hart explained.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024
In the autumn of 1971 a man used to come to our house, bearing confections in his pocket and hopes of ascertaining the life or death of his family.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Vocabulary lists containing ascertain
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