to ascertain
- verb
- /ˌæsərˈteɪn/
- The detective worked late into the night to ascertain the facts of the case.
- ascertain the truth
- ascertain information
- need to ascertain
And so Kant says, I sought to ascertain their number.
- And so Kant says, I sought to ascertain their number.
- And so how did you, you know, ascertain that coal had some of these things?
- But then if you watched and listened to us, then maybe you would ascertain that it's not all doom and gloom.
- There should be a way of ascertaining that or I don't.
Examples
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Studies are needed to ascertain any potential harm and the cost-effectiveness of intensive statin therapy.
Academic text (2011) -
Our goal was to ascertain, if we could, whether the benefits of EXT outweigh the risks.
Academic text (2008) -
What are some examples of ways that we ascertain truth in society?
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And if so, we really have to be able to ascertain what is actually happening, right?
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What we were not able to ascertain at the time is how far up the chain of command this went.
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As well, we did not ascertain how long ago they had received the injury.
Academic text (2008) -
I wanted to ascertain all the facts.
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Further studies are needed, however, to ascertain if there are differences on other foreign policy questions.
Academic text (1999) -
Police learned he had no debts, and, as far as they could ascertain, no enemies.
Fiction book (1990) -
The location and date of the last set were ascertained from the captain or a crew member.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
To discover something while looking or by accident
Examine something to make sure it is correct or true
To learn something you did not know, often by searching or asking
Check or do something so you are sure about it
To look carefully at something to find facts
To look at or test something to learn more about it
To show that something is true by giving evidence
To find out a fact by checking or measuring
To show something is true using evidence
To make sure something is true or correct
Find the real reason for a problem by checking carefully
To look at something to make sure it is correct and works well
To look at something very carefully to check for mistakes
To ask someone many questions in a formal way to find out facts
Figure out something from facts or evidence
To ask careful questions to find hidden information
Antonyms
How Certain
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Ascertain comes from the small part a- added to certain, which comes from Latin certus meaning 'sure'. So to ascertain something is to 'make sure' of it or to find it out.