certainty

[ sur-tn-tee ]

noun

, plural cer·tain·ties.

1. the state of being certain.

   Synonyms: confidence, assurance, certitude

2. something certain; an assured fact.

   Synonyms: truth

certainty

/ ˈsɜːtəntɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being certain
2. something established as certain or inevitable
3. for a certainty
   without doubt

Other Words From

• non·certain·ty noun plural noncertainties

Word History and Origins

Origin of certainty¹

1250–1300; Middle English certeinte < Anglo-French, equivalent to certein certain + -te -ty ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. for / of a certainty, certainly; without a doubt:

   I suspect it, but I don't know it for a certainty.

Synonym Study

See belief.

Example Sentences

So, you might not need to rush to buy a new iPhone, but if you are planning a major purchase anyway you may want to take advantage of the certainty of current pricing.

From Salon

What we know with some certainty is that in time millions of Trump supporters will discover they have been lied to and made into suckers, again.

From Salon

That worked in California’s favor in 2019, when Ford, Honda and other automakers sidestepped the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken emissions standards and made a deal with California, citing the need for “regulatory certainty.”

From Los Angeles Times

Musk has never been considered one to inject certainty into any situation.

From Los Angeles Times

It introduced a foreign student cap this year, but industry bodies there say enrolments have fallen well below that, because nervous students would rather apply to study somewhere with more certainty.

From BBC

Related Words

• confidence
• inevitability
• trust