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

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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 This breed is a high-energy dog that's rascally, amusing and certainly vocal. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 July 2026 Maybe not quite as big, but certainly onstage playing in bands. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 The three-episode premiere of Furious has certainly been a roller coaster. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 July 2026 The world certainly knows him, but Peter Parker might as well have never existed. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 28 July 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
  • The Alphabet subsidiary filed 488 crash reports to the agency during the study period, of which researchers found 89 definitely or plausibly police-reportable.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026
  • These advances will definitely help build a future where AI models could actually be run on the phone with minimal power consumption.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
Definition of definitely
Adverb
  • What the museum surely didn’t expect was for the trophy to arrive freshly imbued with New York history.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 23 July 2026
  • His long-term future surely hovered as another complicating factor.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of surely
Adverb
  • Louis Varland being a better trade deadline pickup from that Twins bullpen than Griffin Jax sure is something else.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Kennedy, a shortstop who hails from Fort Worth, improved his play dramatically after undergoing LASIK surgery, and scouts sure took notice.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2026
Definition of sure
Adverb
  • With Cincinnati clearly swinging for the fences after an active offseason in hopes of maximizing quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime, Pitcher could receive an even larger spotlight.
    — Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The true number of cases is in the thousands, clearly exceeding the country’s standard range of between 2,000 and 5,000 in recent years.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Definition of clearly
Adverb
  • There’s nothing unique about hating high school, but most people who vow never to return to their hometowns probably don’t hail from New York City.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 July 2026
  • If a false accusation appears on a high-authority site, creating a blog post on your company website probably won't outrank it.
    — Victoria Marshall, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of probably
Adverb
  • But the one person who really set the whole endeavour in motion was Lenain’s beloved uncle Farid, a gay and HIV-positive man who passed away in 2013.
    — Michael-Oliver Harding, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • If diversification were really the primary reason to own private equity, more capital would already be there for that reason alone.
    — Carrie McCabe, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of really

Browse Nearby Words

certain
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Cite this Entry

“Certainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certainly. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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