ascertain

Ascertain is a formal verb meaning to discover or determine something with certainty through investigation or examination. It is transitive and typically takes a direct object such as the facts, the cause, or the identity. It often appears with a clause, as in “ascertain whether…” or “ascertain what….”

Etymology: The term enters English from Middle English ascerteinen, through Old French acertainer, meaning to make certain.

Usage: Used in legal, governmental, scientific, and journalistic writing. It connotes careful verification rather than mere discovery, and is preferred in formal contexts over more casual terms like “find out.”

Derivative forms and examples: Related forms include ascertainable (capable of being ascertained), ascertainment (the act or process of ascertaining), ascertained (past participle), and ascertaining (present participle). Examples: “The investigators sought to ascertain the cause of the failure.” “This information is not ascertainable from these records.” These variants help specify timing and possibility, as in “ascertainable facts” or “ascertained results.”