certainly

[ sur-tn-lee ]

adverb

1. with certainty; without doubt; assuredly:

   I'll certainly be there.

2. yes, of course:

   Certainly, take the keys.

3. to be sure; surely:

   He certainly is successful.

certainly

/ ˈsɜːtənlɪ /

adverb

1. with certainty; without doubt

   he certainly rides very well

sentence substitute

1. by all means; definitely: used in answer to questions

Word History and Origins

Origin of certainly¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; certain + -ly

Example Sentences

"It's certainly not like the backgrounds that we've seen other directors of the FBI and those who have overseen other similarly sized and important federal agencies bring to their jobs," Brower said of Patel's experience.

From BBC

“Things were certainly built better back then, and are much more repairable than the latest equipment.”

From BBC

A groin injury that sidelined the junior for two games certainly didn’t help, but it seems as if he hasn’t been nearly as much on the attack as he was last February and March.

From Los Angeles Times

They certainly need them, with a tough run of games coming up, starting with the Merseyside derby on Saturday.

From BBC

In the last two presidential elections, and certainly in the most recent, there was the perfunctory celebration of Black women saving democracy with white women promising this time they’d do better.

From Salon

Related Words

• absolutely
• assuredly
• exactly
• surely