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
As each member of the beloved K-pop boy band takes his turn enlisting in the South Korean military — a requirement for all males in the country by a certain age — some have already completed their duty, while others are expected to finish their tour very soon.
—
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
But John Wick 4 ended so well that there is a certain amount of … like there’s this feeling that nothing popular is allowed to end anymore.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
Hahn: [Schaeffer’s] writing requires a certain dexterity.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Most companies will match a percentage of your 401(k) deferrals up to a certain limit.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
But John Wick 4 ended so well that there is a certain amount of … like there’s this feeling that nothing popular is allowed to end anymore.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
Hahn: [Schaeffer’s] writing requires a certain dexterity.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Most companies will match a percentage of your 401(k) deferrals up to a certain limit.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 4 June 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 10 Jun. 2025.
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