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Added 3 October 2026

ascertain

/ˌæsəˈteɪn/ verb

In Latin: scīscō, comperiō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ascertain at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To find out definitely; to discover or establish.
As soon as we ascertain what the situation is, we can plan how to proceed.
To make (someone) certain or confident about something; to inform.
To look for something lost.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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