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
At a certain point, Braverman made her final vows, meaning theoretically she was committed to lifelong service in the church.
—
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
And, at a certain point, the scale is just too big.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Tennessee does not have any state laws requiring firearm owners to lock their weapons or store them in a certain way.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
The subject is so momentous that any efforts not reaching a certain level of quality can come across as exploitative.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
And, at a certain point, the scale is just too big.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Tennessee does not have any state laws requiring firearm owners to lock their weapons or store them in a certain way.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
The subject is so momentous that any efforts not reaching a certain level of quality can come across as exploitative.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 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 19 Mar. 2025.
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