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certainty - 3 dictionary results

cer⋅tain⋅ty

  [sur-tn-tee]
Use certainty in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the state of being certain.
2. something certain; an assured fact.
—Idiom
3. for or of a certainty, certainly; without a doubt: I suspect it, but I don't know it for a certainty.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME certeinte < AF, equiv. to certein certain + -te -ty 2

Synonyms:
1. certitude, assurance, confidence. See belief. 2. truth.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cer·tain·ty   (sûr'tn-tē)   
n.   pl. cer·tain·ties
  1. The fact, quality, or state of being certain: the certainty of death.
  2. Something that is clearly established or assured: "On the field of battle there are no certainties" (Tom Clancy).
Synonyms: These nouns mean freedom from doubt. Certainty implies a thorough consideration of evidence: "the emphasis of a certainty that is not impaired by any shade of doubt" (Mark Twain).
Certitude is based more on personal belief than on objective facts: "Certitude is not the test of certainty" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.)
Assurance is a feeling of confidence resulting from subjective experience: "There is no such thing as absolute certainty, but there is assurance sufficient for the purposes of human life" (John Stuart Mill).
Conviction arises from the vanquishing of doubt: "His religion . . . was substantial and concrete, made up of good, hard convictions and opinions. (Willa Cather).
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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Certainty

Cer"tain*ty\, n.; pl. Certainties. [OF. certainet['e].]

1. The quality, state, or condition, of being certain.

The certainty of punishment is the truest security against crimes. --Fisher Ames.

2. A fact or truth unquestionable established.

Certainties are uninteresting and sating. --Landor.

3. (Law) Clearness; freedom from ambiguity; lucidity.

Of a certainty, certainly.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : certainty
Spanish: certeza, seguridad,
German: die Sicherheit,
Japanese: 確実なこと
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