Synonym Chooser

How does the noun certitude differ from other similar words?

The words certainty and conviction are common synonyms of certitude. While all three words mean "a state of being free from doubt," certitude may emphasize a faith in something not needing or not capable of proof.

believes with certitude in an afterlife

How do certainty and certitude relate to one another?

Both certainty and certitude are very close; certainty may stress the existence of objective proof.

claims that cannot be confirmed with scientific certainty

When would conviction be a good substitute for certitude?

The words conviction and certitude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conviction applies especially to belief strongly held by an individual.

holds firm convictions on every issue

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of certitude To me, Cardinal Lawrence gives a beautiful speech at the beginning of the film, talking about the evil of certitude and the moral preciousness of doubt. Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2024 Historians will debate why Xi so mishandled the U.S.-Chinese relationship, likely finding some combination of ideology, certitude of a declining United States, and domestic exigencies that had nothing to do with foreign policy. Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 Nov. 2018 The Yankees’ twenty-seven World Series titles long ago made the team barons of baseball certitude. Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024 But Prince’s law school certitude would soon be challenged by another, even uglier, twist involving the Daily Stormer. Steven Johnson, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2018 See all Example Sentences for certitude 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for certitude
Noun
  • The lack of transparency associated with the Maldivian government—today’s and those of the recent past—is mirrored by the lack of certainty around the islands’ early history, as Hassan Ahmed Maniku explains in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka Branch.
    Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 17 Jan. 2025
  • His squads in October and November had considerable overlap, with several mainstays looking like World Cup certainties, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson.
    Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • But Kavanaugh said tech companies that offer TikTok in their app stores would likely need assurances that they would not be prosecuted by the Justice Department if the platform was still available given that decision.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Prenatal supplements offer an assurance that vitamin and mineral requirements are being met.
    Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Los Angeles’ young defense has a ton of confidence after a dominating, record-tying performance against the Vikings.
    Mark Ross, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
  • The only way is to give some confidence to the players is to win games.
    Sam Pilger, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In the sweeping report, Smith argued that his office had the evidence to secure a conviction against the former president if the election case had ever gone to trial.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
  • And false convictions dropped; as DNA testing became more widespread, fewer Black men were wrongfully convicted of the rape of white women than in prior decades, per one report.
    Cindi Leive, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near certitude

Cite this Entry

“Certitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/certitude. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on certitude

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