a certain

phrase

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

Sporting is planning to stay with its MLS model of having two DPs and four U22 roster spots that only charge a certain number against the salary cap. — Pj Green august 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Tax allocation districts are designated areas where a certain amount of property tax revenue growth is diverted away from governments and used to fund specific improvements within that district. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026

At the same time, increasing the dose beyond a certain range produces progressively smaller increases in some opioid effects. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

There’s nothing that needed to be fixed, because everybody who shows up shows up for a certain dish and eats the same thing. — Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for a certain

• uncertain
• bertin
• curtain