Talk:certain

I don't know who left the following comment:

-- the adjective has no comparative or superlative, only the adverb "certainly" (more/most) right? "Most certainly, squire!" < -- American sarcastic expression. certain (comparative more certain, superlative most certain) --

American English uses 'more certain' and 'most certain' but they each indicate lesser degrees of certainty than unqualified 'certain'. So to put these in an order, one would actually include 'uncertain' for:

1. most uncertain
2. more uncertain
3. uncertain
4. more certain
5. most certain
6. certain

which admittedly rather overloads the usual notion of comparative/superlative. Now can the basic template capture this? Probably not. I suspect a Usage Note is a solution here. Makearney 23:35, 1 July 2007 (UTC)Reply

this page is lacking a definition to fit "I know a certain John Smith". --Mat200 23:29, 16 December 2010 (UTC)Reply

It should have something related to specificity.

for a fact says for a certainty is a synonym, should it be added? --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:11, 29 November 2019 (UTC)Reply

for a certainty doesn't have an entry and for a fact claims for a certainty is its synonym. Couldn't that mean there's a good chance for a fact should be deleted? DCDuring (talk) 03:47, 30 November 2019 (UTC)Reply

@DCDuring: for a fact is not an idiom in the OED : https://www.oed.com/oed2/00081502 AND https://www.oed.com/oed2/00127589 --Backinstadiums (talk) 20:52, 5 November 2020 (UTC)Reply

Since make sure is already added --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:57, 22 September 2020 (UTC)Reply

1) known but not specified or named: certain people may doubt this
2) named but not known: he had written to a certain Mrs Smith
3) (as pronoun; functioning as plural): certain of the members have not paid their subscriptions
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/certain

Currently we have one single meaning (I do not think the second one is included in its wording), yet I do not understand what a determiner "as pronoun" refers to (is that why we have it labeled (with of)?).

Cf. OED https://www.oed.com/oed2/00035941 --Backinstadiums (talk) 20:48, 5 November 2020 (UTC)Reply

What about It was a certain Dr Davis who performed the operation? --Backinstadiums (talk) 09:57, 2 April 2021 (UTC)Reply

2.   destined; sure to happen: She is certain to be at the party (= It is sure to happen that she will). 

However

2. that you can rely on to happen or to be true If you want to be certain of (getting) a ticket, book now. --Backinstadiums (talk) 15:55, 16 August 2021 (UTC)Reply

As in of a certain ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 18:24, 18 April 2022 (UTC)Reply