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.
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Vertical Applications While Parker admits the traditional style of lap siding still dominates the siding landscape, verticality is certainly having a moment. Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025 But the actor is certainly no stranger to grabbing the attention of Emmy voters; this is his sixth Emmy nomination — and his sixth time turning voters' heads while wearing scrubs. Shania Russell, EW.com, 15 July 2025 Once the missiles were launched, the Chinese would almost certainly jam the radio navigation system. Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025 There are certainly teams that would love to get him into their pitching labs and see if there is a way to unlock some potential that the Rays just haven't been able to get out of him. Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 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 19 Jul. 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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