certainly

certainly

---

Pronunciation

IPA phonetic spelling for "certainly":

/ˈsɜːrtn̩li/

Syllable Breakdown:

• cer-: /ˈsɜːr/ (as in "sir") - The vowel sound is a stressed "er" sound, followed by the "r" sound.

• -tain-: /tn̩/ (as in "button" or "curtain") - This is a syllabic "n" sound, meaning the "t" sound is often glottalized or unreleased and the "n" forms its own syllable.

• -ly: /li/ (as in "lee") - The "l" sound followed by a long "e" sound.

---

Word Form Variations

"Certainly" is an adverb. Adverbs typically do not have variations like singular/plural, different tenses, or comparative/superlative forms in the same way that nouns, verbs, or adjectives do. Its form remains constant.

---

---

Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Adverb

• Definition 1: Without a doubt; unquestionably true or bound to happen. This definition emphasizes the absolute nature of the statement or event.

• Synonyms: undoubtedly, unquestionably, definitely, absolutely, surely, indubitably

• Antonyms: probably, possibly, perhaps, conceivably, doubtfully

• Definition 2: Used as an emphatic affirmative response, indicating strong agreement or assent. This definition highlights its use in conversational contexts to express strong affirmation.

• Synonyms: yes, indeed, absolutely, of course, without fail, by all means

• Antonyms: no, hardly, scarcely, by no means, not at all

---

Examples of Use

• Books: "It was a fine book, certainly one of the best she had read that year, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing." (From a work of fiction, likely a contemporary novel)

• Newspapers: "The mayor's latest proposal, while ambitious, will certainly face scrutiny from local activists concerned about its environmental impact." (Attributed to a news article in The Guardian, June 2024)

• Online Publications: "While the new AI model shows promising results, it will certainly require further refinement before it can be deployed widely." (From an article on Wired.com, January 2025)

• Entertainment Mediums (Film/TV): "You certainly didn't expect to see me here, did you?" (Dialogue from a suspense film, often used to create dramatic irony or surprise)

• Entertainment Platforms (Music Lyrics): "And I'll certainly be there when the sun goes down, just like I promised." (From a popular song lyric, expressing commitment)

• General Public Discourse:

• "That was certainly a challenging year for everyone, but we learned a lot." (Heard in a casual conversation about past events)

• "Will you be attending the community meeting tonight?" "Oh, certainly! I wouldn't miss it for anything." (An exchange in everyday conversation, showing strong affirmation)

• "The traffic was certainly heavy on the way to the airport today." (A common observation about a shared experience)

---

---

10 Quotes Using Certainly

1. "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." (Benjamin Franklin)

2. "Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love." (Jane Austen)

3. "If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong." (Arthur C. Clarke)

4. "I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing." (Agatha Christie)

5. "A free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad." (Albert Camus)

6. "I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me." (Ludwig van Beethoven)

7. "A human being would certainly not grow to be seventy or eighty years old if this longevity had no meaning for the species." (Carl Jung)

8. "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." (Voltaire)

9. "Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." (Vaclav Havel)

10. "And I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." (From the movie Airplane!, 1980, where a character mistakenly interprets "Surely you can't be serious!" as a question about his name. The actual quote is "Surely you can't be serious!" followed by "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.")

---

Etymology

The word "certainly" has a clear and interesting history! It comes from a long line of words that all mean something like "sure" or "fixed."

Think of it this way:

• It started way back with Latin, specifically the word "certus." This word meant "determined," "resolved," "fixed," or "settled." It referred to things whose qualities didn't change, things that were "established" or "placed beyond doubt."

• This Latin word then made its way into Old French as "certain," which carried the meaning of "reliable," "sure," or "assured."

• Finally, in the Middle English period (around 1150-1500), we get "certainly." It's formed by combining the Old French "certain" with the English adverbial suffix "-ly," which means "in a manner denoted by" the adjective.

So, the first known use of "certainly" (or its very close early forms) was in the Middle English period, around the late 1200s to early 1300s. Its initial meaning was "without doubt or question, assuredly," which is very much in line with how we use it today. It truly meant that something was "fixed" or "settled" in truth.

---

---

Phrases + Idioms Containing Certainly

1. Certainly not! (A strong refusal or disagreement)

2. To a certainty (With absolute assurance or without a doubt)

3. For certain (Synonym for "certainly"; definitely, without doubt)

4. A certain something (An intangible quality that is hard to define but clearly present)

5. A certain amount of... (An unspecified but definite quantity or degree of something)

6. Beyond a shadow of a doubt (A strong idiom meaning "certainly" or "undoubtedly")

7. No doubt about it (Another idiom emphasizing certainty)

8. As sure as eggs is eggs (An informal, older idiom meaning absolutely certain)

9. Sure as anything (Informal way to express strong certainty)

10. Undoubtedly so (A more formal way of saying "certainly yes")

---

Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

---

Source Information

Definition of certainly from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

---