Main Entry:

as·cer·tain

Pronunciation:

\ˌa-sər-ˈtān\

Function:

transitive verb

Etymology:

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

Date:

15th century

1archaic : to make certain, exact, or precise2: to find out or learn with certainty

synonyms see discover

— as·cer·tain·able \-ˈtā-nə-bəl\ adjective

— as·cer·tain·ment \-ˈtān-mənt\ noun