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to find out definitely; learn with certainty or -ssurance; determine:
to ascertain the facts.
archaic. to make certain, clear, or definitely known.
historical examples

whether it rains, and whether i bring my umbrella, are each severally matters of atomic fact, ascertainable by observation.
our knowledge of the external world as a field for scientific method in philosophy bertrand russell

in a majority of cases such reasons are, to a great extent, ascertainable.
how to observe harriet martineau

this, which is of course not ascertainable, is clearly a very different thing.
the agrarian problem in the sixteenth century richard henry tawney

the fact that another day had begun was only ascertainable by the shining of the star-like mouth of the hole.
the c-xswain’s bride r.m. ballantyne

sometimes the neglected fact is one ascertainable, not by the senses, but by reasoning, which has been overlooked.
-n-lysis of mr. mill’s system of logic william stebbing

the instrument must designate an ascertainable person to whom, or to whose order the money is payable.
cyclopedia of commerce, accountancy, business administration, v. 3 various

that is to say, ascertained or ascertainable effects were made the starting-point instead of the goal of research.
encyclopaedia britannica, 11th edition, volume 2, slice 7 various

now the recognition of an ascertainable uniformity in human mortality has become part of the general stock of thought.
encyclopaedia britannica, 11th edition, volume 14, slice 6 various

the truths of conduct, as far as they are ascertainable, were known long since to the ancient moralists.
a history of french literature edward dowden

it may even be doubted whether his english was of any ascertainable use to him.
the intellectual life =philip gilbert hamerton

verb (transitive)
to determine or discover definitely
(archaic) to make certain
adj.

1783, from ascertain + -able. related: ascertainably.
v.

early 15c., “to inform, to give -ssurance,” from anglo-french acerteiner, old french acertener “to -ssure, certify” (13c.), from a “to” (see ad-) + certain “certain” (see certain). modern meaning of “find out for sure by experiment or investigation” is first attested 1794. related: ascertained; ascertaining.