What does “certain” mean?
- 1
adjectivecompletely sure about something
I’m certain I locked the door.
- 2
adjectiveused to talk about a particular thing without saying exactly which
Certain foods can trigger allergies.
Certain at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈsɜrtn/ · SUR-tun
How to use “certain” correctly
“Certain to” means it will surely happen: “She’s certain to win.” “Certain of/that” is about what someone believes.
Common phrases with “certain”
- make certain
- for certain
- a certain amount
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- sure
- definite
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- uncertain
- doubtful
Word family
- certainly
- certainty
- uncertain
- uncertainty
“certain” is on these word lists
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