certain

1 of 2

adjective

cer·​tain ˈsər-tᵊn How to pronounce certain (audio)
1
: fixed, settled
a certain percentage of the profit
2
: of a specific but unspecified character, quantity, or degree
the house has a certain charm
3
a
: dependable, reliable
a certain remedy for the disease
b
: known or proved to be true : indisputable
it is certain that we exist
4
a
: inevitable
the certain advance of age
b
: incapable of failing : destined
used with a following infinitive
she is certain to do well
5
: assured in mind or action
I am certain they are right

certain

2 of 2

pronoun

plural in construction
: certain ones
certain of my generationW. B. Yeats
Phrases
for certain
: as a certainty : assuredly
the cause is not known for certain
of a certain age
: of a somewhat advanced age : no longer young
remembered by people of a certain age
Choose the Right Synonym for certain

sure, certain, positive, cocksure mean having no doubt or uncertainty.

sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.

felt sure that I had forgotten something

certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence.

police are certain about the cause of the fire

positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.

I'm positive that's the person I saw

cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.

you're always so cocksure about everything

Examples of certain in a Sentence

Adjective I'm fairly certain that I'll be on time. a certain person told me that today is your birthday
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
One thing’s certain: The old grandpa won’t be leaving the house unless shoved by voters. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Then there’s the ability to double down on certain hands and split pairs that further enhance the payout potential. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Reimbursement for primary care, obstetrics and certain kinds of mental health services were increased starting Jan. 1. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 In February, the Grey Gardens actress opened up to Vulture about her vibrant career and what attracts her to certain roles. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The drive for peace was also present in certain fashion choices among guests at the Oscars on Sunday, with stars including Billie Eilish, Finneas, Mahershala Ali, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay and Ramy Youssef and others all wearing symbolic red pins. Dan Heching, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The contrivance of certain parts of the narrative — Laura’s hacking techniques, the introduction of Fred Durst as Fred Durst — derail the story, turning the latter half of the film into a hodge-podge of random encounters. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 What’s for certain as with every Oscars’ ceremony: Our jaws dropped multiple times. Paige Stables, Allure, 10 Mar. 2024 Some people may have certain ideas, other people have similarly valid ideas. ... Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'certain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English certeyn, certayne, borrowed from Anglo-French certein, certain, going back to Vulgar Latin *certānus, from Latin certus "fixed, settled, indisputable," originally past participle of cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" (going back to an Indo-European present stem *kri-n-, verbal adjective *kri-to-, from a verbal base *krei̯̯̯(h1)- "sift, separate," whence Greek krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide," verbal adjective kritós, Welsh gogrynu "to sift") + -ānus + -an entry 2

Pronoun

Middle English certyn, derivative of certeyn certain entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Pronoun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of certain was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near certain

Cite this Entry

“Certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certain. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

certain

1 of 2 adjective
cer·​tain ˈsərt-ᵊn How to pronounce certain (audio)
1
: fixed sense 1b
receive a certain share of the profits
2
: not to be doubted : known to be true
it is certain that diamonds are hard
3
: known but not named
a certain person told me
4
: reliable, sure
a certain cure
5
a
: sure to happen : bound to occur : inevitable
defeat was certain
b
: decided in advance by or as if by fate
the plan was certain to succeed
6
: assured in mind or action
feel certain they will come

certain

2 of 2 pronoun
: certain ones
certain of my classmates are absent

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