certainly

adverb

ˈsər-tᵊn-lē How to pronounce certainly (audio)
Definition of certainlynext
as in definitely
without any question certainly, you can come to the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 certainly Kirk made a point to fill his mis en scene with anachronistic technology items like old tape recorders and pay phones — and having access to all of Green Day’s music certainly didn’t hurt. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 Sandburg football coach Sheamus Murphy certainly loved watching that. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 For another, the pandemic-era shift to remote work almost certainly convinced companies that some positions needn’t be filled at all. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 His legal team, though, would almost certainly fight that with millions still owed. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for certainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for certainly
  1. definitely
  2. surely
  3. sure
  4. clearly
  5. probably
  6. really
Adverb
  • But keeping their promotion rivals at bay most definitely was, Parkinson’s men conceding 24 times in those dozen games, 16 of which came on Welsh soil.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Blanco Gran Reserva Ask any collector about Spanish wines and the name Faustino will definitely come up in the conversation.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of definitely
Adverb
  • But with fewer midweek fixtures this season due to their failure to qualify for European football, Alonso’s setup is surely going to adapt depending on the opponents anyway.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Even the useless adults of The Shards would surely act quickly to arrest Robert with this much evidence.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of surely
Adverb
  • For families While Hôtel Royal’s opulence certainly doesn’t lean into the traditional vision of a family-friendly hotel, their thoughtful amenities sure do.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On the more creative side, Old Navy sure knows how to nail collaborations, especially ones tied to pop culture moments and fashion designers.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sure
Adverb
  • This forced the material into a single-domain state that could be measured more clearly.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This well-balanced and resilient Braves squad is clearly built for a deep postseason run.
    — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of clearly
Adverb
  • Of these, most of the mistakes were in incurring the liability in the first place, with probably at least a third of them being from personal guarantees being called.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Even had Guardiola stayed on, City would probably be playing a more direct brand of football next season, with players more suited to beating a man and covering ground than playing a thousand million passes.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of probably
Adverb
  • People think of intimacy in a romantic sense, but the relationships artists have with the people in their corner in the industry is also really intimate.
    — Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • These types of conversations help teens feel understood and strengthen trust, while uncovering more about what is really driving the desire to change up their look.
    — Liz Regalia, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of really

Browse Nearby Words

certain
certainly
certainty
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Certainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certainly. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on certainly

Nglish: Translation of certainly for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All