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Sure vs Surety - What's the difference?

sure | surety |

As an adjective sure

is .

As a noun surety is

certainty.

sure

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Physically secure and certain, non-failing, reliable.
  • Certain in one's knowledge or belief.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on an afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.}}
  • Certain to act or be a specified way.
  • (obsolete) Free from danger; safe; secure.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Fear not; the forest is not three leagues off; / If we recover that we are sure enough.
  • (obsolete) Betrothed; engaged to marry.
  • * Sir T. More
    • The king was sure to Dame Elizabeth Lucy, and her husband before God.
  • * Brome
    • I presume that you had been sure as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife.

    Synonyms

    * (secure and steadfast) certain, failsafe, reliable * (sense, steadfast in one's knowledge or belief) certain, positive, wis

    Derived terms

    * for sure * surely * sure up (sure)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Without doubt.
    • Sure he's coming! Why wouldn't he?
    "Did you kill that bear yourself? ?"I sure did!"

    Usage notes

    * Often proscribed in favor of surely. May be informal.

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • (rft-sense) Yes, of course.

    • Synonyms

    * certainly, of course, OK, yes

    References

    * 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology , Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192830988

    Statistics

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    Anagrams

    * * * English modal adverbs 1000 English basic words ----

    surety

    English

    Noun

    (wikipedia surety)
  • certainty
  • * Bible, Genesis xv. 13
    • Know of a surety , that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • For the more surety they looked round about.
  • That which makes sure; that which confirms; ground of confidence or security.
  • * Milton
    • [We] our happy state / Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds; / On other surety none.
  • (legal) A promise to pay a sum of money in the event that another person fails to fulfill an obligation.
  • * Shakespeare
    • There remains unpaid / A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which / One part of Aquitaine is bound to us.
  • (legal) One who undertakes to pay money or perform other acts in the event that his principal fails therein.
  • * Bible, Proverbs xi. 15
    • He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it.
  • A substitute; a hostage.
    • (Cowper)
  • Evidence; confirmation; warrant.
  • * Shakespeare
    • She called the saints to surety , / That she would never put it from her finger, / Unless she gave it to yourself.

    See also

    * surcharge * surcharged * indorsement