certainty

Etymology

From Middle English certeynte (“surety”), from Anglo-Norman certeinte, from Old French certeinete, from Vulgar Latin *certānitās, from Latin certus.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝtn̩ti/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜːtn̩ti/
• Hyphenation: cer‧tain‧ty

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

certainty (countable and uncountable, plural certainties)

1. The state of being certain.
   • Fisher Ames

     The certainty of punishment is the truest security against crimes.

2. An instance of being certain.
3. A fact or truth unquestionably established.
   • November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk

     Yet the truth is that City would probably have been coasting by that point if the referee, Michael Oliver, had not turned down three separate penalties, at least two of which could be accurately described as certainties.

   • 1824, Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations Volume 1

     Certainties are uninteresting and sating.

Further reading

• certainty on Wikipedia.Wikipedia