definitely

adverb

def·​i·​nite·​ly ˈde-fə-nit-lē 

ˈdef-nət-

1

: in a definite way : in a way free of all ambiguity, uncertainty, or obscurity

I will definitely be there.

He's very smart and very funny and is definitely a practical actor. He comes to work to get his job done and to make the best movie possible …

—Anna Kendrick

Omaha is definitely not hip; green-haired XML programmers do not glide past gourmet coffee emporiums on Razor scooters.

—Adam Rogers

2

a

—used in speech as a forceful way of expressing agreement or saying "yes"

"Do you think they'll win?" "Definitely!"

b

—used in speech in the phrase definitely not as a forceful way of expressing disagreement or saying "no"

"Do you agree with him?" "Definitely not!"

Synonyms

• certainly
• surely
• sure
• clearly
• probably
• really

Examples of definitely in a Sentence

that is definitely the kind of dog we're looking to adopt

Recent Examples on the Web

In the battle of the maybe-dueling Safdie brothers, Josh Safdie definitely had a better week than his brother Benny Safdie, even if the competition in the Best Director category could still leave the Marty Supreme filmmaker just outside the eventual top five contenders. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025

That's definitely a big part of the premise. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025

And that’s definitely the case with The Secret Agent. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025

The team definitely does not want Jackson to get back to the field early and risk him suffering an even worse hamstring injury. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

definite + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for definitely

• indefinitely

Video

How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'

A definitive answer.