ascertain

/ˌa-sər-ˈtān/

Middle English acertainen to inform, give assurance to, from Anglo-French acerteiner, from a- (from Latin ad-) + certein, certain certain

verb

  1. to find out or learn with certainty

  2. to make certain, exact, or precise

ascertain the truth

discover ascertain determine unearth learn mean to find out what one did not previously know. discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter. ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty.