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# ascertain

«ascertain» in Mova's school dictionary: **To find out for certain whether something is true…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

verb (ascertain, ascertains, ascertained, ascertaining); noun (ascertainment — rare, formal)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (formal) To find out for certain whether something is true, usually by checking carefully. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#m1)

2) (formal) To work out an exact fact or number, such as an amount or a cause. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#m2)

3) (formal, exam) A command word: «Ascertain the number…» means find the number, the same as «find» or «work out». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#m3)

4) (casual) In everyday talk nobody says ascertain; people say «find out», «check», «suss out» (UK, Australia), «figure out» (US) or «work out». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#m4)

5) (casual, joking) Using ascertain in casual talk sounds pompous or jokey: «I shall ascertain the whereabouts of my socks.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

A stiff exam and official word for «find out» or «work out». In maths exam questions «ascertain the total» just means «find the total». In science and reports it means checking facts so you are sure. In police and news reports: «police are trying to ascertain the cause». In casual talk the same idea is «suss out», «check», «figure out». Phrases: ascertain whether, ascertain the cause, ascertain how many, ascertain the facts.

### examples

- Ascertain the total number of apples in the three baskets. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x1)
- The police are trying to ascertain what happened. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x2)
- Please ascertain whether the door is locked before you leave. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x3)
- The teacher wanted to ascertain who had broken the window. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x4)
- Scientists ran tests to ascertain the cause of the illness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x5)
- We could not ascertain how many people came to the fair. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x6)
- Ascertain the cost of 4 pens at 30 cents each. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x7)
- Ascertain the number of items remaining in the possession of a pupil who had 15 and relinquished 6. (formal exam) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x8)
- Go and suss out how many chairs we've got, there's 9 of us. (casual, the same idea) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x9)
- figure out how much each pays, pizza was 24 bucks and we're 4 (casual) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x10)
- Right, I shall now ascertain who ate my biscuits. (joking) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x11)
- Stop waffling and find out — don't «ascertain» me! (rough) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x12)
- Having ascertained this, she set to work at repairs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/#x13)

### note

Regular verb: ascertained. Pronounced «a-ser-TAIN». Much more formal than «find out»; in everyday talk say «find out» or «check». In a maths problem it is only the instruction to calculate; it does not change the numbers and does not say which operation to use — read the rest. Same family of exam words: determine, compute, establish, state. Trap: do not panic at stiff words — rewrite the question in plain words first.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «ascertain» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ascertain/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.