Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ascertain contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ascertain are determine, discover, learn, and unearth. While all these words mean "to find out what one did not previously know," ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty.

attempts to ascertain the population of the region

When is determine a more appropriate choice than ascertain?

The meanings of determine and ascertain largely overlap; however, determine emphasizes the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely.

unable to determine the origin of the word

When would discover be a good substitute for ascertain?

While in some cases nearly identical to ascertain, discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter.

discovered the source of the river

In what contexts can learn take the place of ascertain?

The words learn and ascertain can be used in similar contexts, but learn may imply acquiring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as by simply being told) or it may imply study and practice.

I learned her name only today
learning Greek

When can unearth be used instead of ascertain?

The words unearth and ascertain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden.

unearth old records

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ascertain Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams says his office is combing through jail call logs and cross-referencing fingerprints and DNA samples to ascertain who else working at the jail may have been involved. Kati Weis, CBS News, 29 May 2025 The amount of Plaintiff's damages will be ascertained at trial. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025 Through the middle of April, this logistics behemoth interviewed nearly 45,000 international and freight forwarding customers to ascertain their shipping plans. Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 Consumers who know how much tariffs have increased prices can ascertain whether price hikes exceed the amount of the tariffs. Jeff Sovern, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ascertain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascertain
Verb
  • Once the connection between Edwards and Campbell was discovered, the rest of Bravo's plan came to light, according to authorities.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 20 June 2025
  • Missing police sergeant discovered in extreme hoarding conditions after welfare check.
    , FOXNews.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • There, a tactical response team found a man lying dead with a weapon nearby, whom authorities believe was the shooter.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 1 July 2025
  • The Stanford team found the top reason for resisting AI (45%) is lack of trust in system accuracy or reliability.
    Moin Roberts-Islam, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • My brain kept convincing me that I had been stung and just didn’t realize it.
    Jordan Greene, People.com, 19 June 2025
  • Although in-the-know locals flock here on the weekends, most beach connoisseurs don't even realize this pristine seven-mile stretch of paradise exists.
    Kara Franker, Southern Living, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • The jail currently offers programs for inmates to learn construction or culinary skills.
    Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
  • The idea for the monthly reviews felt like a natural progression from what Hearn has learned from his experience in the world of work.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • And club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is first on the list of those the club would like to see leave before the end of the transfer window.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • Customers deserve to see where their money is going and why, without the complex legal language.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • The soundstage will be located in a specific area of the studios, near the deep water tank.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2025
  • The Hunter Woods subdivision would be located near the $1 billion Microsoft data center that is going to be built there.
    Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2025
  • At one point, the gallery could hear the faint sound of heavy breathing, and the judge reminded jurors to make sure that their headphones were fully on because the microphone feed appeared to be picking up the video.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Kyoto attracts 75 million annual visitors to its 1,000 Buddhist temples and was cited in 1.2 million online searches and 23 million hashtags, the study determined.
    Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • At the time, new vaccines for measles and polio had recently come online, and national health leaders felt the need for a regular panel of experts to determine how best to use these and other products to protect the public.
    Pien Huang, NPR, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ascertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascertain. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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