1
as in one
known but not named a certain person told me that today is your birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
5
as in reliable
not likely to fail chicken soup is grandma's certain cure for pretty much whatever ails you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective certain contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of certain are cocksure, positive, and sure. While all these words mean "having no doubt or uncertainty," certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence.

police are certain about the cause of the fire

When would cocksure be a good substitute for certain?

In some situations, the words cocksure and certain are roughly equivalent. However, cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.

you're always so cocksure about everything

When is it sensible to use positive instead of certain?

While the synonyms positive and certain are close in meaning, positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.

I'm positive that's the person I saw

When could sure be used to replace certain?

The words sure and certain are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.

felt sure that I had forgotten something

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 certain However, your actual payment may be lower depending on certain eligibility factors, like your income and living arrangements. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025 The new rule wouldn’t apply to one-time or emergency spending, and certain expenditures would be excluded from the cap. Nolan McKendry | The Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2025 The research offers hope that stem cell transplants may be able to replace the loss of certain cells that leads to Parkinson’s symptoms. Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025 Changes could also be made to the threshold when certain investments can be blocked by the government, rather than just requiring notification. Owen Tedford, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for certain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for certain
Adjective
  • Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.
    SI.com, SI.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.
    Johannes Himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
Adjective
  • Acharya can’t be entirely sure, but there’s no evidence an actual human being, much less any sort of expert on vaccines or shingles, reviewed her grant proposal or assessed her work.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The Golden Knights may be the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, but the Wild sure are putting up a fight.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Deployments to the region are a demonstration of Australia's resolve to support an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
  • This channels air from the front to underneath, then over the hood and windscreen to keep it stable.
    Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In both cases, regulation or policing of markets is necessary to ensure that ‘bad’ actors do not gain an advantage over good ones.
    Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The laws are seen by the administration as a necessary protection against threats to the country, a betrayal of the principles and virtues of the nation by the opposition and the public at large.
    Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Over the next decade his signature kung-fu comedy style blending bold stunts and easy-going charisma became a reliable box-office draw for Hong Kong’s now legendary Golden Harvest studio.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The only solution with the current state of the Dodgers is a blockbuster trade for a reliable pitcher to bolster their rotation.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But despite definite similarities between Bono and Peters’ vocal styles, the Alarm’s music was less anthemic and centered more around acoustic guitars.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Your ideal clients want someone who stands for something definite.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And over the opening month of this season, Yamamoto’s confident mound presence has been mirrored behind the scenes, the pitcher becoming more vocal in game-planning meetings and assured in his clubhouse demeanor.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Both Roseman and Sirianni were confident that Mukuba could deliver the same blows in the NFL despite being undersized.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Today’s sentence is the culmination of justice, but this is not the final chapter of Kyhara’s life story.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The Yorktown's final resting place wasn't discovered until a 1998 expedition found it about 1,000 miles northwest of Honolulu.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certain. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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