CERTAINLY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does certainly mean? 

• CERTAINLY (adverb)
  The adverb CERTAINLY has 1 sense:

1. definitely or positively ('sure' is sometimes used informally for 'surely')

  Familiarity information: CERTAINLY used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CERTAINLY (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Definitely or positively ('sure' is sometimes used informally for 'surely')

Synonyms:

certainly; for certain; for sure; sure; sure as shooting; sure enough; surely

Context example:

sure he'll come

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Pertainym:

certain (established beyond doubt or question; definitely known)

 Context examples 

There are certainly odd deficiencies in the house, considering the extraordinary evidences of wealth which are round me.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I recollect talking about it, said I, though I certainly did not think it very likely then.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She touched it with her finger, and said: “Ah! how good fowls are! It certainly is a sin and a shame that they are not eaten at the right time!”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The boat contained four men, and its fifth occupant was certainly a woman.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

"There's certainly the potential for these findings to improve human-machine interactions," Dr Loetscher says.

(Eyes Can Indicate Personality Type, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

They also reported the coating repels bacteria, which has implications for preventing the spread of disease and certainly reduces smells.

(Materials scientists invent new coating for self-cleaning, water-efficient toilets, Wikinews)

Although this is reminiscent of Mars, the cause is almost certainly very different.

(Pluto: The 'Other' Red Planet, NASA)

"Most certainly a sign-post," said Challenger.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“The results are unexpected and certainly give cause for concern.”

(Low doses of arsenic cause cancer in male mice, NIH)