certainly
adverb
cer·tain·ly
ˈsər-tᵊn-lē 
Synonyms
Examples of certainly in a Sentence
It will certainly rain tomorrow.
This year's festival was certainly much better than last year's.
I'm certainly going to try.
The new version is most certainly easier to use.
The snake that bit her was almost certainly poisonous.
Recent Examples on the Web
Average wages in March were up 4.1% — almost certainly outpacing the rise in prices.
—
Scott Horsley, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
When work begins to rebuild it, more Latino immigrants will almost certainly join the effort to reopen the crucial transportation artery, report my colleagues Ramishah Maruf and Gloria Pazmino.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Mary & George certainly outpaces The Tudors in varieties of deviance depicted.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Regardless of whether or not this total solar eclipse will bring big moments in your life, the fact that the event will be visible in parts of the United States is certainly exciting.
—Emily Newhouse, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
The loss of Eileen and return of the self-pitying Orwell alter ego are certainly linked.
—Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
The Vishnu was almost certainly one of them and now appears to be on display at the Angkor National Museum.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
There's certainly been [film] versions of it, but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Analysts said the Russian leader would almost certainly seek to do so this time, as well.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
Scott Horsley, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
When work begins to rebuild it, more Latino immigrants will almost certainly join the effort to reopen the crucial transportation artery, report my colleagues Ramishah Maruf and Gloria Pazmino.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Mary & George certainly outpaces The Tudors in varieties of deviance depicted.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Regardless of whether or not this total solar eclipse will bring big moments in your life, the fact that the event will be visible in parts of the United States is certainly exciting.
—Emily Newhouse, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
The loss of Eileen and return of the self-pitying Orwell alter ego are certainly linked.
—Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
The Vishnu was almost certainly one of them and now appears to be on display at the Angkor National Museum.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
There's certainly been [film] versions of it, but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Analysts said the Russian leader would almost certainly seek to do so this time, as well.
—Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'certainly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of certainly was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing certainly
Dictionary Entries Near certainly
Cite this Entry
“Certainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certainly. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
certainly
adverb
cer·tain·ly
ˈsərt-ᵊn-lē
1
: in a manner that is certain : for certain
the earliest voyage of which anything is certainly known
2
: without doubt : surely
certainly you can do better than that
More from Merriam-Webster on certainly
Nglish: Translation of certainly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of certainly for Arabic Speakers
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