ascertain
Determine for certain
To ascertain something is to find it out with certainty, usually through deliberate investigation or inquiry: We need to ascertain the facts before proceeding.
The word implies careful verification rather than casual discovery.
It appears most often in formal or official contexts—legal proceedings, investigations, research: Investigators worked to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Find something unknown
- findLocate through effort
- uncoverReveal what's hidden
- detectNotice or discover
- revealMake something visible
unearth · identify · locate · recognize · discern · encounter · expose · pinpoint
Make something understandable
- determineEstablish through investigation
- establishCreate formally, permanently
- pin downFix precisely or immobilize
- nail downEstablish with certainty
settle · resolve · clear up · sort out · make sure · get to the bottom of · define · specify
Confirm accuracy or truth
- confirmValidate as true
- validateConfirm as true
- authenticateConfirm as genuine
- corroborateConfirm with supporting evidence
substantiate · attest · establish · document · evidence · prove · demonstrate · vouch
Reach by reasoning
gather · surmise · extrapolate · figure out · work out · piece together · puzzle out · reckon
discover
Find something unknown
reveal · unearth · identify · locate · recognize · discern · encounter · expose · pinpoint · spot
clarify
Make something understandable
- determineEstablish through investigation
- establishCreate formally, permanently
- pin downFix precisely or immobilize
nail down · settle · resolve · clear up · sort out · make sure · get to the bottom of · define · specify · confirm
verify
Confirm accuracy or truth
- confirmValidate as true
- validateConfirm as true
- authenticateConfirm as genuine
corroborate · substantiate · attest · establish · document · evidence · prove · demonstrate · vouch · affirm
deduce
Reach by reasoning
derive · gather · surmise · extrapolate · figure out · work out · piece together · puzzle out · reckon · judge
investigate
Seek facts systematically
scrutinize · analyze · inspect · audit · inquire · question · explore · delve · study · survey
- detectiondetect, discover, find, identify, locate
- verifycheck, confirm, verify, validate, authenticate
- approvalsapproved, approve, authorizing, endorsing, endorsement
- arrive atreach, come to, get to, pull into
- establishestablish, found, institute, create, set up
- formal wordshereby, herein, thereof, thereby, whereby
ascertainguess
Estimate without certainty
assume · suppose · presume · conjecture · surmise
ascertained, ascertaining, ascertainable, ascertains, unascertained, ascertainment