cert

IPA/sɜːt/
KK[sˈɚt]IPA/sɜːrt/

cert — noun

  • certsingular
  • certsplural

1. a person or thing that is so likely to succeed or happen that you feel completel

1.nounB2
Definition

a person or thing that is so likely to succeed or happen that you feel completely sure about it — for example, a horse that seems certain to win a race, or a candidate who is guaranteed to get a job.

Example

With her grades and confident interview, Aiko was a cert for the scholarship.

cert + for + noun phrase

The chestnut horse looked like a cert to finish first on the muddy track.

Common collocations
  • a cert for
  • a cert to
  • a dead cert
  • be a cert
  • look a cert
Synonyms
  • sure thing

    More common in American English; slightly less informal than 'cert'

  • dead cert

    Emphatic version of 'cert', used in the same British informal contexts

  • certainty

    More formal and neutral; works in both British and American English

  • shoo-in

    American English; describes a person certain to win an election or competition

Antonyms
  • long shot

    Something unlikely to succeed; the opposite of a cert

Grammar Patterns

cert + for + noun

cert + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in British informal speech. The phrase 'a dead cert' adds emphasis (‘That horse is a dead cert to win’).

Common Mistakes

The team is a cert to lose.
The team is a cert to win.
'a cert' always means certain to SUCCEED or happen, never certain to fail.

2. a short, informal way of saying 'certificate' — a document that officially prove

2.nounB1
Definition

a short, informal way of saying 'certificate' — a document that officially proves someone has completed a course of study, passed a test, or has a particular qualification.

Example

Priya kept her teaching cert framed on the wall of her study.

teaching cert

After six months of evening classes, Leila received her yoga instruction cert.

Common collocations
  • teaching cert
  • nursing cert
  • diving cert
  • coaching cert
  • get your cert
  • show your cert
Synonyms
  • certificate

    The full, more formal term for any official document

  • diploma

    Usually refers to a higher-education or secondary-school completion document

  • qualification

    Broader term that includes skills and experience, not just paper documents

Usage Note

Common in British English conversational and workplace contexts. In formal writing, the full word 'certificate' is preferred. Not used in American English.

Common Mistakes

I need to get my birth cert for the passport office.
I need to get my birth certificate for the passport office.
'cert' typically refers to qualifications or training documents, not vital records. Use 'birth certificate' for official documents.

cert — abbreviation

Word family

  • cert (noun)
    nounB2
  • certain (adj)
    adjectiveA2
  • certainly (adv)
    adverbA2
  • certainty (noun)
    nounB2
  • certificate (noun)
    nounB1
  • certification (noun)
    nounB2
  • certified (adj)
    adjectiveB2
  • certify (verb)
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe something or someone very likely to happen or succeed, but they differ in register and regional use. 'Cert' is an informal British noun used mainly in betting, sports, and workplace contexts (‘Diego was a cert for the promotion’). 'Dead cert' is the same but stronger and more colloquial. 'Sure thing' is the closest American equivalent; it can also serve as a reply (‘Can you help me? Sure thing’). 'Certainty' is neutral and formal, suitable for academic or professional prose. 'Shoo-in' is an American noun for an election or competition winner who is far ahead of rivals (‘The incumbent was a shoo-in for re-election’). In practice, choose 'cert' or 'dead cert' for casual British speech, 'sure thing' or 'shoo-in' for American contexts, and 'certainty' for any formal writing.

cert ↗sure thing ↗certainty ↗dead certshoo-in

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a cert
  • a dead cert

Prepositions

Etymology

EnglishLatinFrench

The word 'cert' is a 19th-century shortening of two different words. The 'certainty' sense (noun sense 1) comes from 'certain' — it emerged in British horse-racing slang around the 1880s, where a horse that was 'a cert' meant one that was certain to win. The 'certificate' sense (noun sense 2 and abbreviation) is a clipped form of 'certificate', appearing in British informal usage in the early 20th century as spoken shorthand for training and qualification documents.