ascertain
UK /ˌæsəˈteɪn/ · US /ˌæsɚˈteɪn/ verb
Forms ascertains ascertaining ascertained
- verb (transitive) To find out definitely; to discover or establish. “As soon as we ascertain what the situation is, we can plan how to proceed.”
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To make (someone) certain or confident about something; to inform.
- verb (intransitive, Yorkshire, dated) To look for something lost.
- verb (transitive, archaic) To establish, to prove.
- verb (transitive, archaic) To ensure or effect.
Synonyms
determine discover establish find out learn work out see discern assess find check insure see to it ensure control assure watch
Etymology
From Middle English acerteynen, from Old French acertener, from a- (“to, towards”) + certener (“make sure of”), from the adjective certain, from Latin certus (“certain, fixed”). Compare to Spanish acertar.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To render (a person) certain; to cause to feel certain; to make confident; to assure; to apprise. [Obs.]
- verb To make (a thing) certain to the mind; to free from obscurity, doubt, or change; to make sure of; to fix; to determine. [Archaic]
Etymology [OF. acertener; a (L. ad) + certain. See Certain.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ascertain”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details