Ascertain — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˌa-sər-ˈtān/ as·cer·tain

Meaning & Definition of Ascertain

Ascertain (verb)

  1. to find out or learn with certainty
  2. to make certain, exact, or precise

Ascertain (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come to an awareness of

    "was immediately able to ascertain that the girl was uncomfortable talking about her life at home"

    similar: catch on (to), discover, find out, get on (to), hear, learn, realize, see, wise (up), get wind of
    related: hit (on or upon), tumble (to), descry, detect, encounter, espy, spot, calculate, dope (out), figure out, find, puzzle (out), discern, mind, note, observe, perceive, divine
    near: miss, overlook, disregard, ignore, forget, unlearn, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, enshroud, hide, mask, occult, screen, shroud, veil

  2. to come upon after searching, study, or effort

    "ascertained that their old colonial-era house had once functioned as a tavern"

    similar: descry, detect, determine, dig out, dig up, discover, dredge (up), ferret (out), find, find out, get, hit (on or upon), hunt (down or up), learn, locate, nose out, root (out), rout (out), rummage, run down, scare up, scout (up), track (down), turn up
    related: espy, sight, spot, look for, search (for or out), seek
    opposite: miss, overlook, pass over
    near: lose, mislay, misplace, misset

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Ascertain

The most common words with a similar meaning to Ascertain:

catch on (to), discover, find out, get on (to), hear, learn, realize, see, wise (up), descry, detect, determine, dig out, dig up, dredge (up), ferret (out), find, get, hit (on or upon), hunt (down or up), locate, nose out, root (out), rout (out), rummage, run down, scare up, scout (up), track (down), turn up, get wind of

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Ascertain

Words with the opposite meaning of Ascertain:

miss, overlook, pass over

Related Words for Ascertain

tumble (to), encounter, espy, spot, calculate, dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), discern, mind, note, observe, perceive, divine, sight, look for, search (for or out), seek

Near Antonyms of Ascertain

disregard, ignore, forget, unlearn, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, enshroud, hide, mask, occult, screen, shroud, veil, lose, mislay, misplace, misset

Word Forms of Ascertain

Inflections: ascertained, ascertaining, ascertains

Derived words: ascertainable (adjective), ascertainment (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Ascertain

Middle English acertainen to inform, give assurance to, from Anglo-French acerteiner, from a- (from Latin ad-) + certein, certain certain

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Ascertain

Frequently Asked Questions about Ascertain

What does "Ascertain" mean?

"Ascertain" means to find out or learn with certainty. As a verb, it is defined as: to find out or learn with certainty. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Ascertain"?

Other words for "Ascertain" include catch on (to), discover, find out, get on (to), hear, learn, realize and see. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Ascertain" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Ascertain"?

There are 49 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Ascertain". Common alternatives include catch on (to), discover, find out, get on (to), hear, learn, realize, see, wise (up) and descry.

What is the opposite of "Ascertain"?

Antonyms of "Ascertain" include miss, overlook and pass over. Near antonyms include disregard, ignore, forget and unlearn.

How do you use "Ascertain" in a sentence?

Examples of "Ascertain" in a sentence: "was immediately able to ascertain that the girl was uncomfortable talking about her life at home"; "ascertained that their old colonial-era house had once functioned as a tavern".

Is "Ascertain" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Ascertain" is a verb.

Is "Ascertain" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Ascertain" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Ascertain"?

"Ascertain" is pronounced /ˌa-sər-ˈtān/ and divided into syllables as as·cer·tain.