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 While mob bosses and the restaurant’s logo with its nod to Scarface himself, may not cue the romance bells for everyone, the menu is certain to draw couples together. Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 Rooms are equipped with plush rugs, Byredo products, rainfall showers, and, in certain cases, views of the hotel’s spacious, stunning infinity pool. Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 But legal experts said the argument that certain platforms could be held responsible for the sale of harmful products is gaining momentum. Gabrielle Fonrouge,paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025 Fees can be as much as $500 per ticket in certain situations. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 19 Sep. 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
  • The director is also sure to face questions about the scores of firings that have rocked the bureau, the FBI’s role in reviewing the Epstein files and a number of other moves that Democrats argue have politicized the FBI.
    Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Meltzer is not quite sure how to handle this phase of Birkin’s life.
    Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • When Spirit emerged from bankruptcy in March, its leaders were hoping to find more stable financial footing.
    Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Huff predicts that white and blue collar alike could be on the chopping block, with impacts spread across gig and stable professions and routine jobs like data entry and customer service among those facing the greatest risk.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Is Executive Order 14224 even necessary?
    Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The partial closure order was coordinated with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, along with multiple local, state, and federal agency cooperators, to identify the minimum area necessary for the safety of firefighting resources and forest visitors.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The strategy was stress-tested against historical market downturns and became a reliable benchmark for retirees looking to stretch savings across three decades.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Dell has crafted a reliable everyday machine out of the 16 Plus.
    Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • By Wednesday, Kimmel’s bosses at ABC—owned by Disney—decided to yank him without a definite return date.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
  • There is a definite need to give the AI overall guidance about the code generation.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s more than a factor of three in improvement of the signal strength over just 10 years, which enables a much more confident and robust extraction of the key parameters and properties associated with this merger.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
  • But Canalys isn’t confident about the demand materializing at retail stores and websites.
    Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • While the final details were still being negotiated, the embassy said the partnership will focus on key technologies, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, telecommunications, and quantum computing.
    Jarrett Renshaw, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Season 4 lands on October 30th and will be followed by a fifth and final season.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certain. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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