certainly

adverb

cer·​tain·​ly ˈsər-tᵊn-lē How to pronounce certainly (audio)
1
: in a manner that is certain : with certainty
2
: it is certain that : assuredly

Examples of certainly in a Sentence

It will certainly rain tomorrow. This year's festival was certainly much better than last year's. I'm certainly going to try. The new version is most certainly easier to use. The snake that bit her was almost certainly poisonous.
Recent Examples on the Web
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While Roblox shareholders have also certainly noticed the early success of A Minecraft Movie, the market is not sending clear signals. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025 Although Obama’s circumstances as wife to a president are certainly extraordinary, her comments immediately resonated with women across the country because of their universality. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2025 Unique, colorful sneakers offer a more subtle take on dopamine dressing, and certainly an antidote to the neutral tones that have come with the craze for quiet luxury. Melisa Vargas, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2025 That has always been part of the Trumpist package of maybe not ideas in the sense of grand philosophies but certainly cultural ideas. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for certainly

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of certainly was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Certainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certainly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

certainly

adverb
cer·​tain·​ly ˈsərt-ᵊn-lē How to pronounce certainly (audio)
1
: in a manner that is certain : for certain
the only event of which anything is certainly known
2
: without doubt : surely
certainly you can do it

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