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 To date, other iterations of self-driving buses around the country are limited to private roads or properties, or rely on drivers to lend the occasional hand or foot for certain parts of the route. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025 There is a dangerous idea gaining traction in certain political circles: the elimination of birthright citizenship. Vilerka Bilbao, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025 This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 May 2025 The frontcourt, on the other hand, is less certain. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 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
  • Grand Canyon's a big day, for sure, but this was completely out of the blue.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • But one thing's for sure: these moms continue to captivate.
    DeVonne Goode, Parents, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • The component loadout is good for the price, with 16GB of RAM making multi-tasking smooth and stable.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 May 2025
  • The threat of severe weather is conditional on the position of a warm front in the area and whether temperatures are too cool and stable for storms to develop.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Constant vigilance is necessary because drownings can happen within minutes, and young children especially can wander off or duck out of sight quickly.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • This might mean caps on unlimited PTO during certain times of year, or that advance approval is necessary.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • To be fair to les frères Dardennes, there is a reliable level of unshowy competence as well as an integrity to their insistence on embedding with unglamorous, recognizable people.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
  • The problem with inland water Environmental scientists have a reliable way of monitoring the water quality at popular coastal beaches, often by taking samples on a daily or weekly basis.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • There’s a definite purity-politics flavor to any suggestion that people should take a moral stand and leave a social network, but also a pretty airtight case to be made for boycotting it.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
  • In unaided awareness, total awareness, definite interest, Final Reckoning is ahead of 2023’s Dead Reckoning which did $54.6M over three days in what was a $78.4M five-day total.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Sitting in the Birmingham High bleachers wearing headphones before running the 400 meters at the City Section track and field prelims, 17-year-old senior Nathan Santa Cruz looks like a teenager comfortable and confident.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
  • This is confident cooking that’s nuanced and purposefully understated.
    Andy Wang, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • The pieces are easy for little fingers to manipulate, and the final project is delightful—an archery set that shoots little balls at a target!
    Adrienne So, Wired News, 17 May 2025
  • From there, Jin narrowed down the final count to seven songs, each exploring themes of love and connection.
    Olivia Munson, USA Today, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certain. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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