The adverb definitely means “clearly, exactly, precisely” or “certainly, without doubt.”
- The interviewee responded very definitely when asked about his future plans.
- There were definitely thirty enormous Canada geese on the pond a few minutes ago.
Definitively means “conclusively or finally.”
- After many moves throughout Canada, Gloria’s grandparents settled definitively in Vancouver.
Copyright notice for Writing Tips Plus
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Search by related themes
Want to learn more about a theme discussed on this page? Click on a link below to see all the pages on the Language Portal of Canada that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in Language Navigator.
Related links
- Writing Tips Plus (home page)
- Writing tools
- Language Navigator (for fast access to language tips)
- TERMIUM Plus®