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
But there’s no one on any planet that could read anything but a small sampling of the books that come out in a particular time period, even in a certain category.
—
Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
But crude does not go bad if it is not refined in a certain amount of time, said Andrew Lipow, the president of Lipow Oil Associates, in a note.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
The Duffers loved a certain style of ‘80s and ‘90s all-family audience animation and cartoons, and this show is made in the spirit of that.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Hollywood is not kind for actresses that get to a certain age.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for a certain
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Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
But crude does not go bad if it is not refined in a certain amount of time, said Andrew Lipow, the president of Lipow Oil Associates, in a note.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
The Duffers loved a certain style of ‘80s and ‘90s all-family audience animation and cartoons, and this show is made in the spirit of that.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Hollywood is not kind for actresses that get to a certain age.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
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 Jan. 2026.
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