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
Being a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader comes with a little extra something-something these days — like a certain piece of jewelry.
—
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
What held it together was a certain 1970s showbiz mood and Mulaney himself, who has the alien confidence, affect and skills of a talk-show host from an older showbiz era.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 7 May 2024
The front of the piece featured a long fabric covering her nether regions, but the sheer lace fabric at the back put her butt cheeks on full display — minus the ribbon of her corset hiding a certain area.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
One big challenge to creating a certain vibe or culture is that many employees now do some or even the majority of their work at home.
—Michael Schroeder, The Indianapolis Star, 6 May 2024
Then skim for the best value over a certain timeframe.
—Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2024
Past a certain point in your second trimester, strangers will begin reaching toward your stomach and telling you about the real difference between boys and girls.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 4 May 2024
Her childhood friend from Rome talks about her tapering and hemming jeans a certain way.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 May 2024
The requirement, passed by state lawmakers in 2018, doesn’t specify a certain type of drill.
—Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
What held it together was a certain 1970s showbiz mood and Mulaney himself, who has the alien confidence, affect and skills of a talk-show host from an older showbiz era.
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 7 May 2024
The front of the piece featured a long fabric covering her nether regions, but the sheer lace fabric at the back put her butt cheeks on full display — minus the ribbon of her corset hiding a certain area.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
One big challenge to creating a certain vibe or culture is that many employees now do some or even the majority of their work at home.
—Michael Schroeder, The Indianapolis Star, 6 May 2024
Then skim for the best value over a certain timeframe.
—Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2024
Past a certain point in your second trimester, strangers will begin reaching toward your stomach and telling you about the real difference between boys and girls.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 4 May 2024
Her childhood friend from Rome talks about her tapering and hemming jeans a certain way.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 May 2024
The requirement, passed by state lawmakers in 2018, doesn’t specify a certain type of drill.
—Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a certain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near a certain
Cite this Entry
“A certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20certain. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
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