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certain - 7 dictionary results
cer⋅tain
[sur-tn]
–adjective
| 1. | free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure: I am certain he will come. |
| 2. | destined; sure to happen (usually fol. by an infinitive): He is certain to be there. |
| 3. | inevitable; bound to come: They realized then that war was certain. |
| 4. | established as true or sure; unquestionable; indisputable: It is certain that he tried. |
| 5. | fixed; agreed upon; settled: on a certain day; for a certain amount. |
| 6. | definite or particular, but not named or specified: A certain person phoned. He had a certain charm. |
| 7. | that may be depended on; trustworthy; unfailing; reliable: His aim was certain. |
| 8. | some though not much: a certain reluctance. |
| 9. | Obsolete. steadfast. |
–pronoun
—Idiom| 10. | certain ones: Certain of the members declined the invitation. |
| 11. | for certain, without a doubt; surely: I know for certain that I have seen that face before. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To certain
cer·tain (sûr'tn) adj.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *certānus, from Latin certus, past participle of cernere, to determine; see krei- in Indo-European roots.] Synonyms: These adjectives mean impossible to avoid or evade: soldiers who knew they faced certain death; facts that led to an inescapable conclusion; an inevitable result; sudden but sure retribution; an unavoidable accident. See Also Synonyms at sure. Usage Note: Although certain appears to be an absolute term, it is frequently qualified by adverbs, as in fairly certain or quite certain. In an earlier survey a majority of the Usage Panel accepted the construction Nothing could be more certain. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Certain
Cer"tain\, a. [F. certain, fr. (assumed) LL. certanus, fr. L. certus determined, fixed, certain, orig. p. p. of cernere to perceive, decide, determine; akin to Gr. ? to decide, separate, and to E. concern, critic, crime, riddle a sieve, rinse, v.]1. Assured in mind; having no doubts; free from suspicions concerning. To make her certain of the sad event. --Dryden. I myself am certain of you. --Wyclif. 2. Determined; resolved; -- used with an infinitive. However, I with thee have fixed my lot, Certain to undergo like doom. --Milton. 3. Not to be doubted or denied; established as a fact. The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. --Dan. ii. 45. 4. Actually existing; sure to happen; inevitable. Virtue that directs our ways Through certain dangers to uncertain praise. --Dryden. Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all. --Shak. 5. Unfailing; infallible. I have often wished that I knew as certain a remedy for any other distemper. --Mead. 6. Fixed or stated; regular; determinate. The people go out and gather a certain rate every day. --Ex. xvi. 4. 7. Not specifically named; indeterminate; indefinite; one or some; -- sometimes used independenty as a noun, and meaning certain persons. It came to pass when he was in a certain city. --Luke. v. 12. About everything he wrote there was a certain natural grace und decorum. --Macaulay. For certain, assuredly. Of a certain, certainly. Syn: Bound; sure; true; undeniable; unquestionable; undoubted; plain; indubitable; indisputable; incontrovertible; unhesitating; undoubting; fixed; stated.Certain
Cer"tain\, n. 1. Certainty. [Obs.] --Gower. 2. A certain number or quantity. [Obs.] --Chaucer.Certain
Cer"tain\, adv. Certainly. [Obs.] --Milton.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : certain
Spanish:
cierto,
German:
sicher,
Japanese:
確かな
certain
1297, "determined, fixed," from O.Fr. certain, from V.L. *certanus, from L. certus "sure, fixed," originally a variant pp. of cernere "to distinguish, decide," originally "to sift, separate" (see crisis). Certainer, certainest were common to c.1750, but have fallen from proper use for some reason.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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certain
see for certain.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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