certainty
noun
cer·tain·ty
ˈsər-tᵊn-tē 
plural certainties
1
: something that is certain
2
: the quality or state of being certain especially on the basis of evidence
Synonyms
Examples of certainty in a Sentence
Scientists still do not know with any degree of certainty why the disease spread so quickly.
We cannot predict the outcome with absolute certainty.
There was no certainty that the package would arrive in time.
Her certainty about these complex moral issues is surprising.
Recent Examples on the Web
Such certainty is possible only in retrospect, however.
—
Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
But Vanessa Gonzalez faced their double mastectomy with a calm certainty, and eventually even came to celebrate it.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
California lives with the certainty that the Big One will come.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
The only certainty is that southern Ohio will get a new member of Congress.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
The first is a desire to know the truth and have clarity and certainty.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024
Such personal designs will inevitably conflict with the mathematical certainties of naval engineering.
—Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2024
Those living in tents outside of the hospital would pile waste in an area away from the tents with no certainty of when it might be removed.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024
The National Institute of Justice, a body of the U.S. Department of Justice, found in a 2016 analysis of a wide body of research that:
The severity and length of punishment is a less effective deterrent than the certainty of being caught.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
But Vanessa Gonzalez faced their double mastectomy with a calm certainty, and eventually even came to celebrate it.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
California lives with the certainty that the Big One will come.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
The only certainty is that southern Ohio will get a new member of Congress.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
The first is a desire to know the truth and have clarity and certainty.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024
Such personal designs will inevitably conflict with the mathematical certainties of naval engineering.
—Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2024
Those living in tents outside of the hospital would pile waste in an area away from the tents with no certainty of when it might be removed.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024
The National Institute of Justice, a body of the U.S. Department of Justice, found in a 2016 analysis of a wide body of research that:
The severity and length of punishment is a less effective deterrent than the certainty of being caught.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'certainty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near certainty
Cite this Entry
“Certainty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certainty. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
certainty
noun
cer·tain·ty
ˈsərt-ᵊn-tē
plural certainties
1
: something certain
2
: the quality or state of being or feeling certain
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