a certain
idiom
1
—used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe
She has a certain elegance about her.
The house has a certain charm.
2
formal
—used with the name of a person one does not know
In 1889, a certain Mr. Kelly made a large donation to the church.
Examples of a certain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s because most airlines require a certain amount of time for checking in luggage.
—
Eve Chen, USA Today, 1 May 2025
And while there’s undeniably a certain perverse joy to that for certain types of fans, even the most dedicated connoisseur of the genre must feel a little underwhelmed.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Each lottery team is assigned a certain number of four-number combinations.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
The Scholars requires a certain amount of commitment.
—Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
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Eve Chen, USA Today, 1 May 2025
And while there’s undeniably a certain perverse joy to that for certain types of fans, even the most dedicated connoisseur of the genre must feel a little underwhelmed.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Each lottery team is assigned a certain number of four-number combinations.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
The Scholars requires a certain amount of commitment.
—Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
Cite this Entry
“A certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20certain. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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