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certainty

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cer⋅tain⋅ty

[sur-tn-tee]
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the state of being certain.
2. something certain; an assured fact.
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


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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