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# certainly

«certainly» in Mova's school dictionary: **without any doubt; surely** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adverb (certainly)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Certainly means without any doubt; surely. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#m1)

2) Certainly is a polite way of saying «yes» or «of course» when someone asks for something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#m2)

3) Certainly can mean «it is true that…», before a «but». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday talk «certainly» is a polite «yes»: «Can I borrow a pencil?» — «Certainly.» In stories and writing it shows the speaker is sure. In school reasoning it marks something that must be true, unlike «probably» or «maybe». Phrases: «certainly not» (a firm no), «almost certainly», «most certainly».

### examples

- «May I open the window?» «Certainly.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x1)
- It will certainly rain later — look at those clouds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x2)
- You certainly worked hard on this project. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x3)
- «Can I stay up all night?» «Certainly not!» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x4)
- She is almost certainly at the library. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x5)
- It was certainly a long walk, but it was fun. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x6)
- The team will most certainly win if they play like that. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x7)
- A triangle certainly has three sides. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x8)
- "Certainly; and I can do it." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/certainly/#x9)

### note

Spelling: certain + ly. «Certainly not» is a strong refusal. In probability, «certain» means it will definitely happen (probability 1); «almost certainly» is very likely but not sure. Do not confuse with «certainty» (a noun: the feeling of being sure).

### In the corpora

- [A little bottle labelled "DRINK ME" appears on the table, "which certainly was not here before", Alice says.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/2-alice-ch1-part2-the-little-door/12/)
- [It is a guilt-offering — he is certainly guilty before the LORD.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/LEV.103/)
- [Lo, certainly in vain hath wrought the vain pen of the scribes.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/JER.247/)

### Trees and pragmatics

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