definitely

adverb

def·​i·​nite·​ly ˈde-fə-nit-lē 

ˈdef-nət-

1

: in a definite way : in a way free of all ambiguity, uncertainty, or obscurity

I will definitely be there.

He's very smart and very funny and is definitely a practical actor. He comes to work to get his job done and to make the best movie possible …

—Anna Kendrick

Omaha is definitely not hip; green-haired XML programmers do not glide past gourmet coffee emporiums on Razor scooters.

—Adam Rogers

2

a

—used in speech as a forceful way of expressing agreement or saying "yes"

"Do you think they'll win?" "Definitely!"

b

—used in speech in the phrase definitely not as a forceful way of expressing disagreement or saying "no"

"Do you agree with him?" "Definitely not!"

Synonyms of definitely

• certainly
• surely
• sure
• clearly
• probably
• really

Examples of definitely in a Sentence

that is definitely the kind of dog we're looking to adopt

Recent Examples on the Web

The memory of the botched attempt against the Patriots definitely didn't help his cause, either, as the team decided his fate. —Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

In a culminating comic battle with garden implements, Westport’s production came off as safe slapstick compared with Hartford’s, which, while still funny, definitely has a more aggressive edge. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026

Now, the plantain chip definitely would have gotten soggy in either of those, but were there enough to-go diners that the Terra Reina team ran out of one container and started using another? —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026

Plus, there was a new host who fans will most definitely recognize. —Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

definite + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for definitely

• indefinitely

Video

How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'

A definitive answer.