different between certainly vs definitively

English

Etymology

certain +? -ly

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s??n?li/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??tn?li/

Adverb

certainly (comparative more certainly, superlative most certainly)

1. In a way which is certain; with certainty.
   • , I.iii.2.2:

     he verily thought he had young live frogs in his belly, qui vivebant ex alimento suo, that lived by his nourishment, and was so certainly persuaded of it, that for many years following he could not be rectified in his conceit.

2. Without doubt, surely.

   • So this was my future home, I thought! Certainly it made a brave picture. I had seen similar ones fired-in on many a Heidelberg stein. Backed by towering hills, […] a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
3. An emphatic affirmative answer; of course.

Synonyms

• (with certainty): absolutely, beyond doubt, indubitably, sure thing, undoubtedly, wis (obsolete), without a doubt
• (without doubt): definitely, doubtlessly, in fact, indeed, indisputably, indubitably, no doubt, really, sure, surely, truly, undoubtedly, unquestionably, wis (obsolete), without a doubt
• (emphatic affirmative): damn right, damn straight, fo shizzle, for sure, oh yeah, wye aye (dialect)

Coordinate terms

• maybe, possibly, arguably, questionably, probably, perhaps

Derived terms

• soitenly

Translations

References

• certainly in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• certainly in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Etymology

definitive +? -ly

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??f?n?t?vli/

Adverb

definitively (comparative more definitively, superlative most definitively)

1. In a way that is not only decisive, but also conclusive and final.

Translations

See also

• definitely