certain

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsəːt(ə)n, -tɪn/

adjective

  • 1able to be firmly relied on to happen or be the case: it’s certain that more changes are in the offing she looks certain to win an Oscar
  • having or showing complete conviction about something: are you absolutely certain about this?
  • 2 [attributive] specific but not explicitly named or stated: he raised certain personal problems with me the exercise was causing him a certain amount of pain
  • used when mentioning the name of someone not known to the reader or hearer: a certain General Percy captured the town

pronoun

(certain of)
  • some but not all: certain of his works have been edited

Phrases

for certain

without any doubt: I don’t know for certain

make certain

[with clause] take action to ensure that something happens: make certain Lewis knows all the facts I made certain that our paths would never cross again
establish whether something is definitely the case: he probably knew her, but it didn’t do any harm to make certain

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French, based on Latin certus 'settled, sure'

Spelling help

Remember that certain ends with -ain.

she is certain to gain a medal.