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
Prior to their discoveries, it was thought that the brain was unable to change or regenerate after a certain point in early adulthood.
—
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
So, maintaining a certain level of trust, while also being skeptical, and not forgetting to check in with ourselves as well.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
And, bringing a certain symmetry to her career, that’s the same message Super wants Victoria’s Secret to send to consumers.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Vitamin D is known to be essential to many aspects of human health — but a new study suggests that taking a certain form of it can have a negative effect.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
So, maintaining a certain level of trust, while also being skeptical, and not forgetting to check in with ourselves as well.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
And, bringing a certain symmetry to her career, that’s the same message Super wants Victoria’s Secret to send to consumers.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Vitamin D is known to be essential to many aspects of human health — but a new study suggests that taking a certain form of it can have a negative effect.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2025.
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