Word of the Day & Vocabulary logo

ascertain

/ˌæsəˈteɪn/verb

To find something out for certain by checking or investigating.

Example sentences

  • “The inspector tried to ascertain the cause of the fire.”
  • “Doctors ran several tests to ascertain whether the bone was broken.”

Legal and bureaucratic in register. In conversation, "find out" says the same thing without the starch.

Synonyms for ascertain

  • determine
  • establish
  • find out
  • discover
  • verify

Find it in: Advanced English words.

Related words