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:
US non-farm payrolls figures later Friday are in focus as traders try to ascertain the Fed's next move after last month's rate hike.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
L.A. attorney Brian Claypool, who handles wrongful death litigation, said the autopsy and toxicology results “will be crucial in this tragic death to ascertain legal liability.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
It would take time, however, to determine who they were, as the commission will need to ascertain whether the identity tags and Kuban shield actually belong to the two soldiers found.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“He was nearby on the scene there, and we were working trying to ascertain his identity and the motivations behind that,” Hicks said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The hearing reached absurd, numbing proportions as lawyers tried to ascertain Edwards’s algebra grade in a court of law.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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
It is only bit by bit that one ascertains the truth in affairs like these.
From The Greville Memoirs A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IV, Vol. III by Charles Greville
A third person whose injuries had yet to be ascertained was in the process of being brought to hospital.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
The study suggested that the current outbreak is "larger than currently ascertained" and that its "true magnitude remains uncertain".
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Mr Lawson said the pioneering work had even ascertained where the people, who were buried between the 12th Century and 1560, were born.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2025
She’s ascertained that she’s not a child and not an adult; not the sick little girl named Marcy who she used to be, nor her maker’s favorite.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2025
It must be ascertained that they had been given orders not to fire until our column was within fair range of their weapons.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Deciding the punishment should be quicker than ascertaining guilt, but nothing is certain in this case.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
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
And if you’re brave enough to step deeper into the lot, yet clearly not confident in ascertaining a Golden Pothos from a Pothos N’Joy, a woman with a warm smile will approach you kindly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025
“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
It is desired that the investigation of subject be most searching and pointed towards ascertaining the nature of her present activity and the identity of her associate.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Vocabulary lists containing ascertain
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