certainly

adverb

cer·​tain·​ly ˈsər-tᵊn-lē How to pronounce certainly (audio)
1
: in a manner that is certain : with certainty
2
: it is certain that : assuredly

Examples of certainly in a Sentence

It will certainly rain tomorrow. This year's festival was certainly much better than last year's. I'm certainly going to try. The new version is most certainly easier to use. The snake that bit her was almost certainly poisonous.
Recent Examples on the Web Analysts said the Russian leader would almost certainly seek to do so this time, as well. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024 The occasion was that year’s F.A. Cup final, featuring the Sunderland Association Football Club, an underdog team that, some might say, had no business being there, and certainly no business winning. Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024 But even with the possibility of major changes, Hale said, one thing will almost certainly remain the same for real estate agents. John Towfighi, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 That speculation is probably, though not certainly, wrong. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 These oh-so-Southern chicken and dumplings take under an hour to prepare, and the dish is certainly worth the flavorful, hearty result. Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 County Executive Frank White Jr. is heading up lease agreements and will almost certainly veto McGee’s ordinance unless leases are signed before the ballot deadline. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Though the book has certainly drawn some interest, Melina said patrons won’t be able to check this particular book out in the future. Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024 The deal with Jackson almost certainly means Steve Avila, the Rams’ second-round pick last year, will move to center after starting every game last season at left guard. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'certainly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of certainly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near certainly

Cite this Entry

“Certainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certainly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

certainly

adverb
cer·​tain·​ly ˈsərt-ᵊn-lē How to pronounce certainly (audio)
1
: in a manner that is certain : for certain
the earliest voyage of which anything is certainly known
2
: without doubt : surely
certainly you can do better than that

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