certain
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++cer·tain1 /ˈsɜːtn $ ˈsɜːr-/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 [not before noun]SURE confident and sure, without any doubts 肯定的，确定的，毫无疑问的 SYN surecertain (that) I’m absolutely certain that I left the keys in the kitchen. 我绝对肯定我把钥匙落在厨房里了。 I felt certain that I’d passed the test. 我感觉自己肯定通过这次测验了。certain who/what/how etc I’m not certain when it will be ready. 我不确定什么时候能准备好。certain about/of Now, are you certain about that? 喂，你肯定是那样吗？ They were watching him. He was certain of it. 他们在监视他，对此他很肯定。► see thesaurus at sure RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say sure rather than certain: 在日常英语中，人们一般说sure，不说certainI’m sure I gave him the money. 我肯定我把钱给他了。2 CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYif something is certain, it will definitely happen or is definitely true 肯定会发生的，必然的，确实的 It now seems certain that there will be an election in May. 现在看来五月份肯定会举行大选。 Many people look certain to lose their jobs. 许多人看来肯定要失业了。 It is wise to apply early to be certain of obtaining a place. 最好早点申请以确保被录取。 It’s not certain where he lived. 不清楚他住在哪里。 His re-election was considered virtually certain. 他再次当选被认为几乎已成定局。 It is by no means certain that the deal will be accepted. 还无法确定这笔交易会被接受。 If they stayed in the war zone they would face certain death. 他们如果留在战区的话，那就必死无疑。3 make certain a) CHECK/MAKE SUREto check that something is correct or true 核实〔某事〕，把…弄清楚 SYN make suremake certain (that) We need to make certain that it’s going to fit first. 我们首先要确定这能放得下。 b) CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYto do something in order to be sure that something will happen 确保 SYN make suremake certain (that) Secure the edges firmly to make certain that no moisture can get in. 把边缘扣紧确保不让潮气进去。4 for certain CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYwithout doubt 确定，无疑 SYN for sureknow/say (something) for certain I know for certain it’s in here somewhere. 我能肯定它就在这里的某个地方。that’s/one thing’s for certain One thing’s for certain, he won’t be back. 有一点可以肯定，他是不会回来了。5 [only before noun] used to talk about a particular person, thing, group of things etc without naming them or describing them exactly 某个；某些6 a certain n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: if something is certain, it will definitely happen or is definitely truephrasesit seems certain that …It seemed certain that the other team would win.somebody seems/looks/appears certain to do somethingFor a while the whole project looked certain to fail.something is by no means certain (=not definite)Victory was by no means certain for Smith.something is far from certain (=not definite)Success is far from certain.adverbsfairly certainOpposition to the changes is fairly certain.almost/virtually certainIt is almost certain that she will be given a prison sentence.Prices are virtually certain to increase.nounscertain deathIf they stayed in the war zone, they faced almost certain death. THESAURUS – Meaning 2: if something is certain, it will definitely happen or is definitely true 肯定会发生的，必然的，确实的certain if something is certain, you are completely sure that it will happen or is true 确定的，肯定的Success seems certain. 成功似乎确定无疑。It is almost certain that there will be a change of government. 几乎可以肯定，政府将要换届。nNobody knows exactly who built the manor, but it is certain that an architect called John Sturges supplied the drawings. definite if something is definite, it is certain because someone has officially stated that it will happen, is true etc 确定的，明确的I hope you can give me a definite answer soon. 我希望你快点给我一个明确的答复。The wedding will be next summer but a definite date has not been arranged yet. 婚礼将在明年夏天举行，但确切日期尚未敲定。nI’ve got a good chance of getting the job, but it’s not definite yet.inevitable if something, especially something bad, is inevitable, it is certain to happen and you cannot do anything to prevent it 〔尤指坏事〕不可避免的War now seems inevitable. 眼下战争看似不可避免。It was inevitable that he would find out her secret sooner or later. 他迟早会发现她的秘密，这是不可避免的。nFacial wrinkles are the inevitable result of aging.be bound to if something is bound to happen, it is very likely to happen, especially because that is what usually happens in that kind of situation. Be bound to is less formal than certain and is very common in everyday spoken English 必定，必将〔be bound to没有certain正式，在日常英语口语里很常用〕The kids are bound to be hungry when they get home – they always are. 孩子们回到家里必定饿了——他们一向如此。My car broke down today. It was bound to happen sooner or later. 我的汽车今天坏了，这是迟早的事。be assured of something formal to be certain to get something good, or to be successful 确信能得到某物，确信会成功After the success of its recent single, the band is now assured of a contract with a major record company. 最近的单曲唱片发行成功后，该乐队现在确定能和一家大唱片公司签约了。nHe is is virtually assured of becoming the next prime minister. nOur clients are assured of comfortable accommodation and the attention of our trained staff.something is a foregone conclusion if something is a foregone conclusion, its result is certain even though it has not happened yet 某事是预料中的必然结果They were winning by such a large margin that victory seemed to be a foregone conclusion. 他们大幅领先对手，胜利似乎已成定局。Party members believe it is a foregone conclusion that he will resign. 党员们相信，他辞职是早晚的事。Examples from the Corpus
certain• Computer prices will continue to fall - that's certain.• He was certain about one thing - she would come back one day.• You will see that generally a certain amount of light comes through.• Her business faces certain bankruptcy.• Coaches should be certain before they challenge a referee's decision.• Ignoring all warnings, the general led his men to certain death.• It is impossible to look at certain drawings without laughing.• The Minoans also regarded certain inanimate objects as incarnations of a deity.• She won't let you borrow the car - I'm certain of that.• Because the growing, feeding and slaughtering of kosher chickens are supervised by rabbis, all growers must meet certain standards.• It is only in certain subjects - notably mathematics, technical subjects and physics - that boys do better than girls.• Nobody knows exactly who built the manor, but it is certain that an architect called John Sturges supplied the drawings.• As the results came in, it was now almost certain that Ken Livingstone would be the new Mayor of London.• There will also be deep-seated reasons why certain types of behaviour elicit strong responses in others.• Are you certain you didn't leave your keys at home?• Don't stop looking until you're absolutely certain you've found the place you want.certain (that)• On the other hand, nothing is certain.• The death is slow, taking several years, but certain.• Moderated drinking is seen as a viable goal for certain clients.• The selection of a particular planning frame commits the speaker to using certain function words and affixes and not others.• All the programs block access to certain Internet forums.• Only peddlers or certain ministers would barge right in.• I'm almost certain that Jackie was pregnant when they got married.• Begin by making certain that the door itself is strong enough.• Tumour necrosis factor, interferon alfa, and interleukin 2 have already been expressed and secreted in high concentrations within certain tumours.It ... seems certain that• It seems certain that all eight have been copied, ultimately from a single ancestral globin gene.• It now seems certain that cheap, convenient videoconferencing is at last going to reach a mass market of computer users.• In terms of the training materials themselves, it seems certain that digital multimedia will play a major role.• It seems certain that pavement K, Woodchester is of the same period as the Orpheus mosaic, i.e. c. 310-325.• It seems certain that there is still a place for working elephants in mountainous regions where machinery can not easily operate.• It seems certain that to Modigliani she acted as stimulant, irritant and catalyst for his work.• It now seems certain that, whichever party comes to power on 5 March, the latest funding measures will be upheld.certain kind/type/sort• Shaq, this move is only effective against a certain type of defense.• Schattschneider argues that certain types of groups are organised into politics and others are organised out of it'.• And a certain kind of heroism, a tone of valiant despair, colors the choreography.• There is a certain kind of leader who recruits only people like himself or herself.• Perhaps it was that which made her attractive to a certain type of man.• These networks, which included certain kinds of neighbouring, included those for whom ties of kinship were of primary significance.• In the first place, the rule could apply only to a certain kind of poetry.certain2 pronoun certain of somebody/something formal particular people or things in a group 人/物中的某些 Certain of the payments were made on Mr Maxwell’s authority. 部分款项是经马克斯韦尔先生批准支付的。Examples from the Corpus
certain• You have to be a certain height to go on some of the rides.• There are certain things I just can't talk to my mother about.• Some vegetables are only available at certain times of the year.• In certain ways Martha's good to work for, but she's really sarcastic.From Longman Business Dictionarycertaincer‧tain /ˈsɜːtnˈsɜːrtn/ adjective a sum certainLAW an amount of money that cannot be changed or have anything added to ita written order requiring the importer to pay a sum certain in the exporter’s domestic currencyOrigin certain1 (1200-1300) Old French Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus “decided, certain”, from cernere “to sift, decide”cer·tain1 adjective →REGISTER1 →n COLLOCATIONS1
→THESAURUS1certain2 pronounLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
→THESAURUS1certain2 pronounLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
doubts Business any and Corpus without sure, confident
certain
cer‧tain1 S1 W1 /ˈsɜːtn $ ˈsɜːr-/ 
adjective
SYN sure
certain (that)
I’m absolutely certain that I left the keys in the kitchen.
I felt certain that I’d passed the test.
certain who/what/how etc
I’m not certain when it will be ready.
certain about/of
Now, are you certain about that?
They were watching him. He was certain of it.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say sure rather than certain:
▪I’m sure I gave him the money.
2. if something is certain, it will definitely happen or is definitely true:
It now seems certain that there will be an election in May.
Many people look certain to lose their jobs.
It is wise to apply early to be certain of obtaining a place.
It’s not certain where he lived.
His re-election was considered virtually certain.
It is by no means certain that the deal will be accepted.
If they stayed in the war zone they would face certain death.
3. make certain
a. to check that something is correct or true
SYN make sure
make certain (that)
We need to make certain that it’s going to fit first.
b. to do something in order to be sure that something will happen
SYN make sure
make certain (that)
Secure the edges firmly to make certain that no moisture can get in.
4. for certain without doubt
SYN for sure
know/say (something) for certain
I know for certain it’s in here somewhere.
that’s/one thing’s for certain
One thing’s for certain, he won’t be back.
5. [only before noun] used to talk about a particular person, thing, group of things etc without naming them or describing them exactly:
The library’s only open at certain times of day.
I promised to be in a certain place by lunchtime.
There are certain things I just can’t discuss with my mother.
certain kind/type/sort
the expectation of a certain kind of behaviour
in certain circumstances/cases etc
Extra funding may be available in certain circumstances.
6. a certain
a. used to say that an amount is not great:
You may need to do a certain amount of work in the evenings.
to a certain extent/degree (=partly, but not completely)
I do agree with his ideas to a certain extent.
b. enough of a particular quality to be noticed:
There’s a certain prestige about going to a private school.
c. formal used to talk about someone you do not know but whose name you have been told:
a certain Mr Franks
■ phrases
▪it seems certain that … It seemed certain that the other team would win.
▪somebody seems/looks/appears certain to do something For a while the whole project looked certain to fail.
▪something is by no means certain (=not definite) Victory was by no means certain for Smith.
▪something is far from certain (=not definite) Success is far from certain.
■ adverbs
▪fairly certain Opposition to the changes is fairly certain.
▪almost/virtually certain It is almost certain that she will be given a prison sentence. | Prices are virtually certain to increase.
■ nouns
▪certain death If they stayed in the war zone, they faced almost certain death.
▪ certain if something is certain, you are completely sure that it will happen or is true: Success seems certain. | It is almost certain that there will be a change of government. | Nobody knows exactly who built the manor, but it is certain that an architect called John Sturges supplied the drawings.
▪definite if something is definite, it is certain because someone has officially stated that it will happen, is true etc: I hope you can give me a definite answer soon. | The wedding will be next summer but a definite date has not been arranged yet. | I’ve got a good chance of getting the job, but it’s not definite yet.
▪inevitable if something, especially something bad, is inevitable, it is certain to happen and you cannot do anything to prevent it: War now seems inevitable. | It was inevitable that he would find out her secret sooner or later. | Facial wrinkles are the inevitable result of aging.
▪be bound to if something is bound to happen, it is very likely to happen, especially because that is what usually happens in that kind of situation. Be bound to is less formal than certain and is very common in everyday spoken English: The kids are bound to be hungry when they get home – they always are. | My car broke down today. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
▪be assured of something formal to be certain to get something good, or to be successful: After the success of its recent single, the band is now assured of a contract with a major record company. | He is is virtually assured of becoming the next prime minister. | Our clients are assured of comfortable accommodation and the attention of our trained staff.
▪something is a foregone conclusion if something is a foregone conclusion, its result is certain even though it has not happened yet: They were winning by such a large margin that victory seemed to be a foregone conclusion. | Party members believe it is a foregone conclusion that he will resign.
certain2 pronoun
certain of somebody/something formal particular people or things in a group:
Certain of the payments were made on Mr Maxwell’s authority.
| I |
adjective Word Family: noun: certainty ≠ uncertainty; adverb: certainly ≠ uncertainly; adjective: certain ≠ uncertain
Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus 'decided, certain', from cernere 'to sift, decide'
1. [not before noun] confident and sure, without any doubts Language: Old French
Origin: Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus 'decided, certain', from cernere 'to sift, decide'
SYN sure
certain (that)
certain who/what/how etc
certain about/of
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say sure rather than certain:
▪
2. if something is certain, it will definitely happen or is definitely true:
3. make certain
a. to check that something is correct or true
SYN make sure
make certain (that)
b. to do something in order to be sure that something will happen
SYN make sure
make certain (that)
4. for certain without doubt
SYN for sure
know/say (something) for certain
that’s/one thing’s for certain
5. [only before noun] used to talk about a particular person, thing, group of things etc without naming them or describing them exactly:
certain kind/type/sort
in certain circumstances/cases etc
6. a certain
a. used to say that an amount is not great:
to a certain extent/degree (=partly, but not completely)
b. enough of a particular quality to be noticed:
c. formal used to talk about someone you do not know but whose name you have been told:
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| II |
pronouncertain of somebody/something formal particular people or things in a group:
certain that you can rely on to happen or be true 指确实、确定、肯定（会发生或是事实） ：◆ It's certain that they will agree. 他们肯定会同意。 ◆ They are certain to agree. 他们肯定会同意。 bound [ 指肯定会、一定会 NOTE Bound is only used in the phrasebound to do/be, etc. * bound 只用于 bound to do/be 等短语中 ：◆ There are bound to be changes when the new system is introduced. 新系统引进后肯定会有变化。 ◆ You've done so much work—you're bound to pass the exam. 你下了这么大功夫，一定能通过考试。 sure certain to happen or be true; that can be trusted or relied on 指必定、无疑（会发生或是事实）或不容置疑、确切、可靠 ：◆ She's sure to be picked for the team. 她肯定会入选该队。 ◆ It's sure to rain. 一准会下雨。 definite ( certain to happen; that is not going to changerather
指必将发生、不会改变 ：◆ Is it definite that he's leaving? 他肯定要离开吗？ guaranteed certain to have a particular result 指肯定会、必定会（有特定结果） ：◆ That kind of behaviour is guaranteed to make him angry. 那样的行为肯定会让他生气。
Patterns
certain/sure of sthcertain/bound/sure/guaranteed to do sth certain/definite that… I couldn't say for certain/sure/definite.
sure [ 指确信、肯定、有把握、必定 ：◆ 'Is that John over there?' 'I'm not sure.' “那边那个人是约翰吗？” “我说不准。” ◆ Are you sure about that? 这事你肯定吗？ ◆ England must win this game to be sure of qualifying. 英格兰队必须拿下这场比赛才能确保获得资格。 NOTE Sure is often used in negative statements and questions, because there is some doubt or anxiety over the matter. If there is no doubt, people often sayquite sure .* sure 常用于否定句和疑问句，表示有所怀疑或担忧。毫无疑问时常用 quite sure ：◆ I'm quite sure (that) I left my bag here (= .I have no doubt about it )我肯定是把包丢在这儿了。 confident completely sure that sth will happen in the way that you want or expect 指肯定、确信、有把握 ：◆ I'm quite confident that you'll get the job. 我肯定你能得到那份工作。 ◆ The team feels confident of winning. 这个队觉得有把握取胜。 NOTE Confident is a stronger and more definite word thansure and is more often used in positive statements, when you feel no anxiety.* confident 较 sure 语气强，而且更肯定，在无所担忧的情况下较常用于肯定句中。 convinced [ 指坚信、深信、确信，尤指有证据证明或经说服 ：◆ I'm convinced that she's innocent. 我坚信她是清白无辜的。 certain [ 指确信、肯定、无疑 ：◆ Are you absolutely certain about this? 你对这事绝对确信无疑吗？
sure or certain? 用 sure 还是 certain？
positive [ ( completely sure that sth is truerather
指有绝对把握、确信、肯定 ：◆ She was positive that he'd been there. 她确信他曾到过那儿。 ◆ 'Are you sure?' 'Positive.' “你肯定吗？” “绝对肯定。” clear (often used in negative statements and questions) having no doubt or confusion about sth （常用于否定句与疑问句中）指无疑的、清楚的、明白的 ：◆ My memory isn't really clear on that point. 那一点我记不太清楚了。
Patterns
sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear about sthsure/confident/convinced/certain of sthsure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clear that… sure/certain/clear who/what/how , etc.to feel sure/confident/convinced/certain/positivequite/absolutely/completely/fairly/pretty sure/confident/convinced/certain/positive/clearnot altogether sure/confident/convinced/certain/clear
◆ I'm sure/100% certain/absolutely positive I left my keys on the table.我肯定我把钥匙落在桌子上了。 ◆ There's no doubt in my mind that this is the best option.我心里确信无疑，这是最佳选择。 ◆ Without a doubt,/No question, this is where it was.毫无疑问，它原来就在这里。 ◆ I'm not (at all) sure what time they arrive,to be honest. 老实说，我（一点也）拿不准他们什么时候到。 ◆ I rather doubt they'll call back.( BrE 我有点儿怀疑他们是否会回电话。