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.
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
Instead, the duty of a judge is to ascertain “what Congress wanted, as best we can ascertain its intent.”
From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026
“With an asset this volatile, it’s impossible to ascertain when and where the bottom lies,” says Clark Bellin, president and chief investment officer at Bellwether Wealth.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
To ascertain whether X screened researchers’ applications for its data too strictly, the commission reviewed 12 applications, four of them “in depth”—tiny numbers given that X received 151 research requests in a single two-month period.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
As if he wished to ascertain that the person addressing him was actually a creature of flesh and bone, a human being with a body and a belly.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
