cer·tain
(sûŕtn)
[Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin* certānus, from Latin certus past participle of cernere, to determine.]
adjective
- Definite; fixed: set aside a certain sum each week.
- Sure to come or happen; inevitable: certain success.
- Established beyond doubt or question; indisputable: What is certain is that every effect must have a cause.
- Capable of being relied on; dependable: a quick and certain remedy.
- Having or showing confidence; assured.
- Not specified or identified but assumed to be known: felt that certain breeds did not make good pets.
- Named but not known or previously mentioned: a certain Ms. Johnson.
- Perceptible; noticeable: a certain charm; a certain air of mystery.
- Not great; calculable: to a certain degree; a certain delay in the schedule.
pron.
- An indefinite but limited number; some: Certain of the products are faulty.
idioms
- for certain
- Without doubt; definitely.
usage note
Usage Note: Although certain appears to be an absolute term, it is frequently qualified by adverbs, as in fairly certain or quite certain. In an earlier survey a majority of the Usage Panel accepted the construction Nothing could be more certain.
synonyms:
certain, inescapable, inevitable, sure, unavoidable These adjectives mean impossible to avoid or evade: soldiers who knew they faced certain death; facts that led to an inescapable conclusion; an inevitable result; sudden but sure retribution; an unavoidable accident. - See also: sure
