ascertain
Usage
What are other ways to say ascertain?
To ascertain is to verify facts by inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about an event. To learn is to add to one's knowledge or information: to learn a language. The verb discover is used with objective clauses as a synonym of learn in order to suggest that the new information acquired is surprising to the learner: I discovered that she had been married before. To detect implies becoming aware of something that had been obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Technological limitations make it impossible to ascertain precisely where Misiorowski ranks in the pantheon of baseball’s great fastball artists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
That’s what “I Shot Andy Warhol” wants the viewer to ascertain.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026
Officials said they are also in communication with authorities to ascertain the cause of death, obtain the complete medical record and review the circumstances surrounding the death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
In a decision log, shown to the inquiry, Sanders recorded the need to liaise with the head of corporate communications, Matthew Jarram, to "ascertain what covenants can be imposed on the press".
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
What sorts of excuses people had used on that first morning to get the doctor and the locksmith out of the house Gregor was completely unable to ascertain.
From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
Henry plays it safe: He ascertains John is gay so shares his chapters via mail.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2022
On the other hand, logical analysis ascertains whether the premises of an argument support the conclusion.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022
“Insikt Group ascertains with high confidence that the top tools on underground forums will continue to change,” the report said.
From Fox News ● Jul. 27, 2019
“The court looks at the impact and the motivation - if it is an ethical violation, if it is an administrative violation - and then ascertains if the punishment fits the crime,” Grevemberg said.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 2, 2018
The following specimen, from this latter edition, ascertains the general usage of the French language with our huntsmen in the 15th century.
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Dibdin, Thomas Frognall
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The exact number of crew members could not be ascertained but the source added it could be between six and eight people.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
Both Prieur and Mafart had been involved in planning the operation back in Paris—it was Prieur who had first ascertained the ship’s itinerary by calling Lloyd’s of London and posing as a journalist.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
But from Thames Verlet drove straight to Marsden Wharf, where he visited the Rainbow Warrior, ate a piece of cake, and ascertained the schedule for the evening.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
“Our own investigation has ascertained that the witnesses were bribed to lie about what truly occurred. Further, their identities have been tampered with, and we can’t locate them.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
The export control amounts to a de facto ban on the model since Anthropic has no way of ascertaining the nationality of its users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Her petition said they are still ascertaining the assets to be identified as separate and community property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2024
“Sourcing gold from the UAE is notoriously risky,” the report said, describing the difficulty in ascertaining the origins of the refined gold.
From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2024
"Studying isolated enzymes is a powerful tool for ascertaining their activity and drawing conclusions about their functional role inside the plant cell," Hart explained.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024
Researchers must reckon their ages by ascertaining the age of the ground they are found in, which in turn requires meticulously documenting their provenance.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Vocabulary lists containing ascertain
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