Certain — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective pronoun /ˈsər-tᵊn/ cer·tain

Meaning & Definition of Certain

Certain (adjective)

  1. fixed, settled
  2. of a specific but unspecified character, quantity, or degree
  3. dependable, reliable

Certain (pronoun)

  1. certain ones

Certain (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. known but not named

    "a certain person told me that today is your birthday"

    similar: anonymous, given, one, some, unidentified, unnamed, unspecified
    related: particular, specific
    near: known, named, specified

  2. having or showing a mind free from doubt

    "I'm certain that they'll arrive on time"

    similar: assured, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, positive, sanguine, sure
    related: self-assured, self-conceited, self-confident, decisive, resolute, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unwavering
    opposite: doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure
    near: hesitant, indecisive, vacillating, wavering, diffident, unassuming

  3. having been established and usually not subject to change

    "a certain percentage of the profits will go to charity"

    similar: determinate, final, firm, fixed, flat, frozen, hard, hard-and-fast, inexpugnable, set, settled, stable
    related: nonadjustable, noncancelable, nonnegotiable, unchangeable, constant, steady, unchanging, uniform, unwavering, definite, exact, explicit, specific, given, stated, stipulated, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, solid, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty
    near: adjustable, changeable, negotiable, indefinite, open-ended, unspecified, capricious, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

  4. impossible to avoid or evade

    "as he got older, the athlete began to feel the certain effects of the aging process on his body"

    similar: ineluctable, ineludible, inescapable, inevitable, necessary, sure, unavoidable, unescapable, in the bag, in the cards
    related: decided, definite, settled, likely, possible, probable, destined, fated, foreordained, predestined, predetermined, preordained, inexorable, relentless, unremitting, unstoppable
    opposite: avoidable, evadable, uncertain, unsure
    near: preventable, doubtful, dubious, questionable, shaky, unclear, undecided, unsettled, undependable, unreliable, improbable, unlikely

  5. not likely to fail

    "chicken soup is grandma's certain cure for pretty much whatever ails you"

    similar: can't-miss, fail-safe, infallible, sure, surefire, unfailing
    related: dependable, reliable, deadly, unerring
    opposite: fallible
    near: doubtful, questionable, uncertain

  6. not capable of being challenged or proved wrong

    "up to this point there's been no certain evidence that a crime has been committed"

    similar: accomplished, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefragable, irrefutable, positive, sure, unanswerable, unarguable, unchallengeable, undeniable, unquestionable
    related: unambiguous, unequivocal, absolute, clear, conclusive, decisive, definite, hands-down, uncontested, uncontradicted, undisputed, unquestioned
    opposite: answerable, arguable, contradictable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, moot, negotiable, problematic, questionable, refutable
    near: controversial, debated, disputed, doubtful, dubious, iffy, inconclusive, indecisive, uncertain, ambiguous, equivocal, academic, hypothetical, speculative, theoretical

Related Entry: For certain (phrase)

For certain is a different word from Certain. The synonyms below are for for certain, not for certain.

  1. without any question

    "We won't know for certain until the test results come back."

    similar: all right, alright, assuredly, certainly, clearly, definitely, doubtless, easily, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, indeed, indisputably, plainly, really, so, sure, surely, truly, unarguably, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, by all means, by all odds, damn well, for sure
    related: conceivably, likely, perhaps, possibly, probably, obviously, unmistakably

Related Entry: Of a certain age (phrase)

Of a certain age is a different word from Certain. The synonyms below are for of a certain age, not for certain.

  1. being of advanced years and especially past middle age

    "Those of a certain age sometimes struggle to keep up with fast-evolving technology."

    similar: aged, aging, ancient, elderly, geriatric, long-lived, old, older, over-the-hill, senescent, senior, unyoung, long in the tooth
    related: centenarian, nonagenarian, octogenarian, septuagenarian, sexagenarian, oldish, adult, grown-up, mature, middle-aged, pensioned, retired, superannuated, matriarchal, patriarchal, venerable, anile, decrepit, doddering, senile, spavined, tottery, overage
    opposite: young, youthful
    near: ageless, youngish, adolescent, immature, juvenile, preteen, puerile, minor, underage, callow, green, inexperienced, raw, babyish, childish, childlike, infantile, infantine, kiddish

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Certain

The most common words with a similar meaning to Certain:

anonymous, given, one, some, unidentified, unnamed, unspecified, assured, clear, cocksure, confident, doubtless, implicit, positive, sanguine, sure, determinate, final, firm, fixed, flat, frozen, hard, hard-and-fast, inexpugnable, set, settled, stable, ineluctable, ineludible, inescapable, inevitable, necessary, unavoidable, unescapable, can't-miss, fail-safe, infallible, surefire, unfailing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Certain

Words with the opposite meaning of Certain:

doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure, avoidable, evadable, fallible, answerable, arguable, contradictable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, moot, negotiable, problematic, questionable, refutable

Related Words for Certain

particular, specific, self-assured, self-conceited, self-confident, decisive, resolute, unfaltering, unhesitating, unquestioning, unwavering, nonadjustable, noncancelable, nonnegotiable, unchangeable, constant, steady, unchanging, uniform, definite, exact, explicit, stated, stipulated, dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, solid

Near Antonyms of Certain

known, named, specified, hesitant, indecisive, vacillating, wavering, diffident, unassuming, adjustable, changeable, indefinite, open-ended, unspecified, capricious, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile, preventable

Origin & Etymology of Certain

Middle English certeyn, certayne, borrowed from Anglo-French certein, certain, going back to Vulgar Latin *certānus, from Latin certus "fixed, settled, indisputable," originally past participle of cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" (going back to an Indo-European present stem *kri-n-, verbal adjective *kri-to-, from a verbal base *krei̯̯̯(h1)- "sift, separate," whence Greek krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide," verbal adjective kritós, Welsh gogrynu "to sift") + -ānus + -an:2

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Certain

Words & Phrases Containing Certain

for certain, of a certain age, d'un certain age, a certain, all but certain to, make certain, make certain of, to a certain extent

Frequently Asked Questions about Certain

What does "Certain" mean?

"Certain" means fixed, settled. As an an adjective and a pronoun, it is defined as: fixed, settled. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Certain"?

Other words for "Certain" include anonymous, given, one, some, unidentified, unnamed, unspecified and assured. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Certain" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Certain"?

There are 115 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Certain". Common alternatives include anonymous, given, one, some, unidentified, unnamed, unspecified, assured, clear and cocksure.

What is the opposite of "Certain"?

Antonyms of "Certain" include doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure, avoidable, evadable, fallible and answerable. Near antonyms include known, named, specified and hesitant.

How do you use "Certain" in a sentence?

Examples of "Certain" in a sentence: "a certain person told me that today is your birthday"; "I'm certain that they'll arrive on time"; "a certain percentage of the profits will go to charity".

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

"Certain" can be used as an adjective and a pronoun, depending on the context.

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

As an A2-level word, "Certain" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Certain"?

"Certain" is pronounced /ˈsər-tᵊn/ and divided into syllables as cer·tain.