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Webster 1913 Edition

Certain

Cer′tain

,
Adj.
[F.
certain
, fr. (assumed) LL.
certanus
, fr. L.
certus
determined, fixed, certain, orig. p. p. of
cernere
to perceive, decide, determine; akin to Gr. [GREEK] 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.
Shakespeare
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.
Syn. – Bound; sure; true; undeniable; unquestionable; undoubted; plain; indubitable; indisputable; incontrovertible; unhesitating; undoubting; fixed; stated.

Cer′tain

,
Noun.
1.
Certainty.
[Obs.]
Gower.
2.
A certain number or quantity.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Cer′tain

,
adv.
Certainly.
[Obs.]
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Certain

CERTAIN

, a.
1.
Sure; true; undoubted; unquestionable; that cannot be denied; existing in fact and truth.
The dream is certain and the interpretation sure. Dan. 2.
2.
Assured in mind; having no doubts; followed by of, before a noun.
However I with thee have fixed my lot,
Certain to undergo like doom of death,
Consort with thee.
To make her certain of the sad event.
3.
Unfailing; always producing the intended effect; as, we may have a certain remedy for a disease.
4.
Not doubtful or casual; really existing.
Virtue that directs our ways
Through certain dangers to uncertain praise.
5.
Stated; fixed; determinate; regular.
Ye shall gather a certain rate every day. Ex. 16.
6.
Particular.
There came a certain poor widow. Mark 12.
In the plural number, a particular part or number; some; an indefinite part, number, or quantity. Hanani came, he and certain men of Judah. I mourned certain days. Neh. 1. 2. 6.
In the latter sense, it is used as a noun; as, certain also of your own poets have said. Acts 17.

Definition 2024

certain

certain

See also: cèrtain

English

Adjective

certain ‎(comparative more certain, superlative most certain)

  1. Sure, positive, not doubting.
    I was certain of my decision.
  2. (obsolete) Determined; resolved.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Milton
      However, I with thee have fixed my lot, / Certain to undergo like doom.
  3. Not to be doubted or denied; established as a fact.
    • Bible, Dan. ii. 45
      The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
  4. Actually existing; sure to happen; inevitable.
    Bankruptcy is the certain outcome of your constant gambling and lending.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Dryden
      Virtue that directs our ways / Through certain dangers to uncertain praise.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      Death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all.
  5. Unfailing; infallible.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Mead
      I have often wished that I knew as certain a remedy for any other distemper.
  6. Fixed or stated; regular; determinate.
    • Bible, Ex. xvi. 4
      The people go out and gather a certain rate every day.
  7. Not specifically named; indeterminate; indefinite; one or some; sometimes used independently as a noun, and meaning certain persons; see also "one".
    • Bible, Luke v. 12
      It came to pass when he was in a certain city.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Macaulay
      About everything he wrote there was a certain natural grace and decorum.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:certain

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Determiner

certain

  1. Having been determined but not specified. The quality of some particular subject or object which is known by the speaker to have been specifically singled out among similar entities of its class.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 3, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.”
    Certain people are good at running.‎

Translations

Pronoun

certain

  1. (with of) Unnamed or undescribed members (of).
    There where serious objections to certain of the proposals.
    • Bible, Acts xxiii. 12
      Certain of the Jews banded together.

Synonyms

  • (unnamed or undescribed members (of)): some

Noun

certain pl ‎(plural only)

  1. (with "the") Something certain.

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: often · themselves · half · #269: certain · sent · keep · myself

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Old French certain, from Vulgar Latin unattested form *certānus, extended form of Latin certus ‎(“fixed, resolved, certain”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sɛʁ.tɛ̃/

Adjective

certain m ‎(feminine singular certaine, masculine plural certains, feminine plural certaines)

  1. certain (sure, positive)
    Il est certain qu'il viendra.
    It is certain that he will arrive.
  2. certain (fixed, determined)
  3. certain (specified, particular)

Noun

certain m ‎(plural certains)

  1. certain; certainty

Determiner

certain

  1. certain: a determined but unspecified amount of ; some
    Certaines personnes vont aller.
    Some people are going.

Related terms

Anagrams

Old French

Alternative forms

Adjective

certain m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular certaine)

  1. certain; sure

Synonyms

Declension

Descendants

Etymology

From Middle English certain, certein, from Old French certain, from Vulgar Latin unattested form *certānus, extended form of Latin certus ‎(“fixed, resolved, certain”), of the same origin as cretus, past participle of cernere ‎(“to separate, perceive, decide”). Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis ‎(“certain, sure”) (from Old English, ġewiss ‎(“certain, sure”) and alternative Middle English spelling sertane ‎(“some, certain”)

Pronunciation

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