Noun

The state of being certain.

* Fisher Ames

The certainty of punishment is the truest security against crimes.

An instance of being certain.

A fact or truth unquestionably established.

* November 2 2014 , Daniel Taylor, " Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk

Yet the truth is that City would probably have been coasting by that point if the referee, Michael Oliver, had not turned down three separate penalties, at least two of which could be accurately described as certainties .

* 1824 , (Walter Savage Landor), Imaginary Conversations Volume 1

Certainties are uninteresting and sating.

Noun

(en noun)

(countable) A firmly held belief.

(countable) A judgement of guilt in a court of law.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=December 14 , author=Steven Morris , title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions . Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer.}}

(uncountable) The state of being found or proved guilty.

(uncountable) The state of being convinced.

* 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland'' (in ''The Guardian , 14 August 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/14/england-scotland-international-friendly]

The visitors were being pinned back by the end of the first half. Yet Gordon Strachan's side played with great conviction and always had a chance of springing a surprise when their opponents were so susceptible at the back.