Definition Definition

certain - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'certain' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Certain [ a.]
- Assured in mind; having no doubts; free from suspicions concerning.
- Determined; resolved; -- used with an infinitive.
- Not to be doubted or denied; established as a fact.
- Actually existing; sure to happen; inevitable.
- Unfailing; infallible.
- Fixed or stated; regular; determinate.
- Not specifically named; indeterminate; indefinite; one or some; -- sometimes used independenty as a noun, and meaning certain persons.
2 . Certain [ adv.]
- Certainly.
3 . Certain [ n.]
- Certainty.
- A certain number or quantity.

Meaning of 'certain' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . certain [ a]
Meaning (1):
- having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
Example in sentence:
  • felt certain of success;
  • sure of her friends;
  • was sure (or certain) she had seen it;
  • was very sure in his beliefs
Meaning (2):
- certain to occur; destined or inevitable
Example in sentence:
  • he faced certain death;
  • he is sure to win;
  • he was certain to fail;
  • his fate is certain;
  • In this life nothing is certain but death and taxes;
  • sudden but sure regret
Meaning (3):
- established beyond doubt or question; definitely known
Example in sentence:
  • his fate is certain;
  • it is certain that they were on the bus;
  • the date for the invasion is certain;
  • what is certain is that every effect must have a cause
Meaning (4):
- established irrevocably
Example in sentence:
  • his fate is sealed
5 . certain [ s]
Meaning (5):
- definite but not specified or identified
Example in sentence:
  • a certain Mrs. Jones;
  • a certain popular teacher;
  • certain breeds do not make good pets;
  • certain members have not paid their dues;
  • set aside a certain sum each week;
  • to a certain degree
Meaning (6):
- reliable in operation or effect
Example in sentence:
  • a quick and certain remedy;
  • a sure way to distinguish the two;
  • wood dust is a sure sign of termites
Meaning (7):
- exercising or taking care great enough to bring assurance
Example in sentence:
  • be certain to disconnect the iron when you are through;
  • be sure to lock the doors

Nearby Words:

ceraceous cerago ceramic ceramics cerargyrite cerasin cerasinous cerastes cerate cerated

See 'certain' also in:

Dictionary.com Google Translator Wikipedia.com Merriam Webster

Related Definitions

  • Time limit on certain defenses provision
    Time limit on certain defenses provision in an individual health insurance policy that prohibits the company from canceling the policy or denying a claim on the basis of a preexisting condition or misstatement in the application after the policy has been in force for
  • Annuity certain
    Annuity certain is an annuity that pays a specific amount on a monthly basis for a
  • Uncertain environment
    Uncertain environment refers to operational environment in which host government forces, whether opposed to or receptive to operations that a unit ...
  • Uncertainty
    A situation in which a decision maker has neither certainty nor reasonable probability estimates available, is called uncertainty.
  • Environment uncertainty
    Environment uncertainty is the degree of change and complexity in an organization’s environment.

Categories

Browse Dictionary