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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The addition of glass tubes certainly adds another dimension to both sparse and dense arrangements. Miles Socha, Footwear News, 17 May 2025 This means, under the current rules at least, a return to the United States, just 12 years after the men’s World Cup in 2026 and (almost certainly) the women’s World Cup in 2031, may well be the likeliest outcome if FIFA enforces the principle. Adam Crafton, New York Times, 17 May 2025 But Ian’s foot is certainly more active at some times than others. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025 Thursday certainly made for a refreshing change of pace from Games 1-5, in which OKC's bench had averaged 34 points to the Nuggets' 22 and made four more 3s per contest (6.8 vs. 2.8). Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for certainly

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Certainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certainly. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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 only event of which anything is certainly known
2
: without doubt : surely
certainly you can do it

More from Merriam-Webster on certainly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!