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
There was a certain liveliness to this show that is all but gone here, replaced with a sour tone that has all the darkness but none of the light that balanced it out in previous seasons.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
None of them charge for follow-up appointments, at least up to a certain point.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 7 Apr. 2025
At a certain point, aren’t the TripAdvisor reviews alone going to ruin their business model?
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
None of them charge for follow-up appointments, at least up to a certain point.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 7 Apr. 2025
At a certain point, aren’t the TripAdvisor reviews alone going to ruin their business model?
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 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 11 Apr. 2025.
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