certitude
Definitions
(formal) A feeling of complete certainty or conviction, often about beliefs or morals.
（正式）确信；笃定（常指对信念或道德的确信）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcerti (from certus, 'certain') + -tude (noun suffix, 'state of') = 'the state of being certain.' Unlike certainty, certitude is formal and leans inward — the felt conviction of being sure, often moral or religious, sometimes with a hint of being too sure.
Root cert still carries 11 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.moral certitude道德上的笃定
- 2.with certitude笃定地
- 3.absolute certitude绝对的确信
Example Sentences
- 1.
He spoke about his faith with quiet certitude.
- 2.
Such moral certitude leaves little room for doubt.
Easily Confused
certitude vs certainty — certainty is the everyday word and can name an external fact (death is a certainty); certitude is formal, almost always names an inner conviction, and often carries a faintly negative tinge of being too sure. You say 'mathematical certainty,' not 'mathematical certitude'; you say 'moral certitude.'