Forms: 4 certaynte, 4–5 -teynte, -tante, 5 certeyntee, -tente, -tainte, 6 certaynete, sertente, -tinty, scertayntie, certentie, -teynty, -tie, certeintie, -tayntie, -taynetye, -tainety, 6–7 certaintie, (certainetie, -ty), 7 certenty, -teinty, 6– certainty. [a. Anglo-Fr. certeinté, OF. certaineté (= Pr. certanetat, OSp. certanedad), on L. or Rom. type certānitāt-e(m: see CERTAIN and -TY.]
1. That which is certain; the certain state of matters, the fact, the truth; a certain account. ? Obs.
[1292. Britton, IV. viii. § 2. Et si ele dedie par la affirmative ou la negative, sourd une doute dount la certeinté fet a enquere del ordinarie.]
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 25. Right story can me not ken, þe certeynte what spellis.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xxi. 65. As we may be infourmed and knowe the certeynte therof.
1565. Grafton, Chron. Edw. I., an. 8 (R.). The king … woulde therevnto geue no credite vntill he had sent thether, and receyued the certaintie.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. ii. § 10. 35. We have then no certainty at all … of any certain records … unless they be contained in those sacred inscriptions from whence Manetho took his history.
2. A fact or thing certain or sure (with pl.)
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. vi. 96. For Certainties Either are past remedies; or timely knowing, The remedy then borne.
1684. Contempl. St. Man, I. vii. (1692), 75. It being then not a suspicion, but an apparent certainty that Death will come.
1711. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., lxxxii. 135. I would not advise you to neglect a certainty for an uncertainty.
1775. Strahan, in Boswell, Johnson, xlviii. Small certainties are the bane of men of talents.
Mod. To surrender a certainty for a mere prospect.
† 3. Assurance, surety, pledge. Obs.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 8218. He hadde seyde hym hys certeynte. Ibid. (1330), Chron. (1810), 69. My broþer delyuer þou me, my neuow þou me grante, & hold þi certeynte, and salle hold couenante.
1425. Sc. Acts Jas. I. (1596), § 62. Bot gif that man haue ane letter or certainetie of the Lord of that land … for quhat cause he cummis in this Realme.
4. The quality or fact of being (objectively) certain.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 7837. Þare es ay blysfulle certaynté.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 91. The Starres … without whose ayme there is no certaintie.
1738. Keill, Anim. Œcon., Pref. 26. Geometry, which truly boasts the Beauty of Certainty.
1880. E. White, Cert. Relig., 3. The Evangelist distinguishes between what we now term certitude—or the belief of the mind—and certainty, or the solid reality of the facts or truths believed in.
5. The quality or state of being subjectively certain; assurance, confidence; absence of doubt or hesitation; = CERTITUDE. Moral certainty: see CERTAIN 4.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter vi. 1. The seven psalmes … bygynnys all in sorrow … and bitternes of forthynkynge, and þai end in certaynte of pardoun.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 43. For love is blinde and may nought se, Forthy may no certeinte Be sette upon his jugement.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, II. i. 172. Vpon thy certainty and confidence, What dar’st thou venter?
1646. Burd. Issach., in Phenix (1708), II. 276. That this is truth, I am as much assur’d of, as moral Certainty can assure any Man of moral Truth.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 101, ¶ 7. This is all we can affirm with any Certainty of his Person and Character.
1837. Hallam, Hist. Lit., III. iii. § 93. The soul’s progress from opinion to doubt, and from doubt to certainty.
1838. De Morgan, Ess. Probab., 3 (Cab. Cycl. Nat. Philos.). Our moral certainty of the fact.
b. with pl.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. v. § 8. If a man will begin with certainties, hee shall end in doubts.
† 6. A certain or definite number or quantity. Obs.
1431. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 278. The vicarye … schal haue iiijs. and iiijd. for his certeyntee of messes.
1601. F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 11 (1876), 11. Setting downe the certenti of the price. Ibid., § 51. 35. By reson of the certenty which is theron assesed.
1603. Daniel, Def. Rhime, Poems (1717), 14. Nature, that desires a Certainty, and comports not with what is infinite.
7. For, (in, at obs.), of, to (a) certainty: as a matter of certainty, beyond doubt, assuredly.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5435. They wene to have in certeynte Of hertly freendis so grete noumbre.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 47. The Kyngs Extraordynary chargys ar so casuel, that no Man may knowe them in certeynte.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 4. No persone may knowe for certeynty, whether he haue it or not.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 26. It is of certainty that her proper name was Nicostrata.
1611. Bible, Joshua xxiii. 13. Know for a certainety, that the Lord your God will no more driue out any of these nations from before you. Ibid., Dan. ii. 8. I know of certeinty that ye would gaine the time.
a. 1635. Naunton, Fragm. Reg. (Arb.), 24. This will be of certainty, that [etc.].
1665. Marvell, Corr., li. Wks. 1872–5, II. 187. But pray tell us once more in certainty whether it must consequently make 600li. a yeare.
1789. Trifler, No. 33. 420. Since music has become the rage, all our ladies must at a certainty, learn this sweet language.
1820. Scott, Abbot, xix. Thou restless boy—Thou hast quicksilver in the veins of thee to a certainty.
1873. Mrs. Oliphant, Innocent, ix. One or other will fall in love with her to a certainty.
