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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For example, a goal of a student with autism may be to maintain eye contact for a certain period of time. — Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026 Building a culture of AI adaptability means your employees should have a certain level of authority in day-to-day decision making. — Duane Tursi, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 At every opportunity, Chris Brown seemed to be waiting in the wings, backflipping in Ne-Yo’s face, proving his dream of a certain era was long gone. — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026 But their latest red carpet outing came with a particularly storied piece of Hollywood history, involving Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and a certain astrological sign of the moment. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for a certain

Rhymes for a certain

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Browse Nearby Words

acerous
a certain
acertannin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“A certain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20certain. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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