certain
Part of speech: adj
det
pron
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English certeyn, certein, certain, borrowed from Old French certain, from a 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”).
Inflected forms:
form: more certain
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: certainer
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most certain
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: certainest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: certaine
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: certayne
pos: adj
tags: alternative
archaic
form: certeine
pos: adj
tags: alternative
archaic
form: certaine
pos: det
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: certayne
pos: det
tags: alternative
archaic
form: certeine
pos: det
tags: alternative
archaic
form: certaine
pos: pron
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: certayne
pos: pron
tags: alternative
archaic
form: certeine
pos: pron
tags: alternative
archaic
Senses:
gloss: Sure in one's mind, positive; absolutely confident in the truth of something.
pos: adj
examples: I was certain of my decision.
[…] I think, nay, I may say that I'm sartain, we'll have a hurricane afore morning. It's not the first time I've cruised in these latitudes.
gloss: Not to be doubted or denied; established as a fact.
pos: adj
examples: Now that more experiments have been run, the theory is certain and the argument is settled.
[…]the dreame is certaine, and the interpretation thereof ſure.
gloss: Sure to happen, inevitable; assured.
pos: adj
examples: It is certain that Spain will reach the finals. / Spain is now certain to reach the finals. / Spain is now certain of a place in the finals.
Bankruptcy is the certain outcome of your constant gambling and lending.
[…]death (as the Pſalmiſt ſaith) is certaine to all, all ſhall die.
How vain is Virtue which directs our ways
 Through certain danger to uncertain praiſe!
gloss: Unfailing; infallible.
pos: adj
examples: I have often wished, that I knew so certain a remedy in any other disease
gloss: Fixed; regular; determinate.
pos: adj
examples: at certain intervals
Then ſaid the Lord vnto Moſes, Behold, I will raine bread from heauen for you: and the people ſhall goe out, and gather a certaine rate euery day, that I may proue them, whether they will walke in my Law, or no.
gloss: Particular and definite, but unspecified or unnamed; used to introduce someone or something without going into further detail.
pos: adj
examples: Every wine has a certain distinctive character which sets it apart from all others.
Each morning, she would see a certain man rush past her window on his way to work.
And it came to paſſe, when he was in a certaine citie[…]
About everything that he wrote, serious or sportive, there was a certain natural grace and decorum[…]
gloss: Used to denote that the speaker is referring to a specific person or thing that they do not want to name directly, implying that the listener should infer the identity of the referent.
pos: adj
tags: euphemistic
examples: I would have been here on time, but a certain someone lost the car keys!
gloss: Named but not previously mentioned.
pos: adj
examples: Looking inside the cover, they learned that the book had once belonged to a certain R. Jones.
About 140 years ago, for example, a certain Hsü Kuang-ming established an ancestral estate in Wanluan consisting of ten hectares. The trust was specifically set aside to provide for his own worship after death, and access to its profits was to be enjoyed only by his descendants.
gloss: Used before the name of someone famous that people are expected to know.
pos: adj
examples: Since the last British government to make such a proposal was that of a certain Margaret Thatcher, it might not seem unreasonable.
gloss: Determined; resolved.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: However I with thee have fixt my Lot,
 Certain to undergoe like doom[…]
gloss: Having been determined but not specified.
pos: det
examples: Certain people are good at running.
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.”
gloss: Unnamed or undescribed members (of).
pos: pron
tags: with-of
examples: She mentioned a series of contracts, of which certain are not cited.
[…]certaine of the Jewes banded together[…]
Synonyms: assured
certain
clear
confident
definite
doubtless
positive
sicker
sure
unambiguous
unequivocal
univocal
unwavering
wis
Antonyms: uncertain
impossible
incidental
particular specific
Related words: intentional
irrefutable
fated
Derived words: certain as death and taxes
certain as death or taxes
certain event
certainly
certainness
certain person
certainty
for certain
make certain
noncertain
nothing is certain but death and taxes
of a certain
of a certain age
Translations:
lang: Arabic
word: أَكِيد
roman: ʔakīd
lang: Arabic
word: مُتَأَكِّد
roman: mutaʔakkid
lang: Armenian
word: հաստատուն
roman: hastatun
lang: Asturian
word: ciertu
lang: Azerbaijani
word: əmin
lang: Belarusian
word: упэ́ўнены
roman: upéwnjeny
lang: Belarusian
word: пэ́ўны
roman: péwny
lang: Bulgarian
word: си́гурен
roman: síguren
lang: Bulgarian
word: уве́рен
roman: uvéren
lang: Catalan
word: cert
lang: Chamicuro
word: akachelo'ta
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 肯定
roman: kěndìng
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 確切 /确切
roman: quèqiè
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 一定
roman: yīdìng
lang: Czech
word: jistý
lang: Danish
word: sikker
lang: Dutch
word: zeker
lang: Esperanto
word: certa
lang: Finnish
word: varma
lang: French
word: certain
lang: Friulian
word: ciert
lang: Friulian
word: sigûr
lang: Friulian
word: positîv
lang: Georgian
word: უეჭველი
roman: ueč̣veli
lang: Georgian
word: უდავო
roman: udavo
lang: German
word: gewiss
lang: German
word: sicher
lang: Old High German
word: giwis
lang: Greek
word: βέβαιος
roman: vévaios
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἔμπεδος
roman: émpedos
lang: Hindi
word: निश्चित
roman: niścit
lang: Hungarian
word: biztos
lang: Hungarian
word: bizonyos
lang: Icelandic
word: viss
lang: Icelandic
word: öruggur
lang: Ido
word: certa
lang: Irish
word: cinnte
lang: Irish
word: dearfa
lang: Irish
word: deimhin
lang: Istriot
word: sierto
lang: Italian
word: certo
lang: Italian
word: sicuro
lang: Japanese
word: 確か
roman: tashika
lang: Japanese
word: 一定
roman: ittei
lang: Japanese
word: 定か
roman: sadaka
lang: Japanese
word: 特定の
roman: tokutei no
lang: Khmer
word: ជាក់លាក់
roman: cĕəklĕək
lang: Korean
word: 확실하다
roman: hwaksilhada
lang: Ladin
word: cert
lang: Ladin
word: cërt
lang: Latin
word: certus
lang: Latin
word: fidus
lang: Macedonian
word: сигурен
roman: siguren
lang: Macedonian
word: уверен
roman: uveren
lang: Maltese
word: ċert
lang: Māori
word: taketake
lang: Norwegian
word: sikker
lang: Norwegian
word: viss
lang: Occitan
word: cèrt
lang: Odia
word: ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ
roman: nirddiṣṭa
lang: Old English
word: gewiss
lang: Plautdietsch
word: wess
lang: Polish
word: pewny
lang: Portuguese
word: certo
lang: Romanian
word: cert
lang: Romanian
word: anume
lang: Romanian
word: sigur
lang: Russian
word: уве́ренный
roman: uvérennyj
lang: Russian
word: определённый
roman: opredeljónnyj
lang: Sardinian
word: certu
lang: Sardinian
word: tzertu
lang: Sardinian
word: tzeltu
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: cinnteach
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: deimhinne
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: sȉgūran
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: си̏гӯран
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: у̀верен
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: sȉgūran
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ùveren
lang: Sicilian
word: certu
lang: Slovak
word: istý
lang: Slovene
word: gotov
lang: Spanish
word: (estar) certero / cierto
lang: Swedish
word: säker
lang: Tetum
word: tebes
lang: Thai
word: แน่นอน
roman: nɛ̂ɛ-nɔɔn
lang: Turkish
word: kesin
lang: Turkish
word: emin
lang: Ukrainian
word: упе́внений
roman: upévnenyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: пе́вний
roman: pévnyj
lang: Venetan
word: çerto
lang: Venetan
word: serto
lang: Venetan
word: certo
lang: Vietnamese
word: chắc chắn
lang: Yiddish
word: זיכער
roman: zikher
lang: Zazaki
word: emel
lang: Zazaki
word: qeta
lang: Arabic
word: بَعْض
roman: baʕḍ
lang: Azerbaijani
word: müəyyən
lang: Belarusian
word: які́сьці
roman: jakísʹci
lang: Belarusian
word: не́йкі
roman: njéjki
lang: Belarusian
word: які́сь
roman: jakísʹ
lang: Bulgarian
word: някакъв
roman: njakakǎv
lang: Bulgarian
word: някой си
roman: njakoj si
lang: Catalan
word: cert
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 有的
roman: yǒu de
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 某
roman: mǒu
lang: Czech
word: nějaký
lang: Dutch
word: zeker
lang: Dutch
word: bepaald
lang: Finnish
word: eräs
lang: Finnish
word: yksi
lang: French
word: certain
lang: French
word: quelconque
lang: German
word: gewiss
lang: German
word: irgendein
lang: Ancient Greek
word: τις
roman: tis
lang: Hungarian
word: bizonyos
lang: Hungarian
word: egyes
lang: Hungarian
word: némely
lang: Hungarian
word: egyfajta
lang: Hungarian
word: egynémely
lang: Ido
word: certena
lang: Italian
word: certo
lang: Italian
word: tale
lang: Japanese
word: ある
roman: aru
lang: Korean
word: 어느
roman: eoneu
lang: Korean
word: 특정
roman: teukjeong
lang: Latin
word: quīdam
lang: Polish
word: jakiś
lang: Polish
word: niejaki
lang: Russian
word: не́который
roman: nékotoryj
lang: Russian
word: како́й-то
roman: kakój-to
lang: Russian
word: не́кий
roman: nékij
lang: Slovak
word: nejaký
lang: Spanish
word: cierto
lang: Swahili
word: fulani
lang: Turkish
word: malum
lang: Turkish
word: bazı
lang: Turkish
word: belli başlı
lang: Ukrainian
word: яки́йсь
roman: jakýjsʹ
lang: Ukrainian
word: котри́йсь
roman: kotrýjsʹ
lang: Ukrainian
word: де́який
roman: déjakyj
lang: Yiddish
word: געוויס
roman: gevis
lang: Zazaki
word: delil