ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsAascertain
ISEE/SSAThard
ascertain
Meaning: to discover something with certainty
ascertain in a sentence
How ascertain is used in real sentences:
The inspector examined the wiring to ascertain the cause of the fire.
From the damaged records, historians could not ascertain who owned the land.
“Valera spent six weeks measuring springs, gradients, and soil movement to ascertain whether a northern route could carry water without crossing the fractured ridge.”
— from the passage The Northern Channel
Synonyms for ascertain
Other words for ascertain — determine, establish and verify — carry the same meaning.
Antonyms of ascertain
Words that mean the opposite of ascertain:
- guess
- doubt
- overlook
Where it comes from
From Old French acertener, meaning 'to make certain.'
Memory hook
ASCERTAIN contains CERTAIN: ascertain something to become certain of it.