a certain

idiom

—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.

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

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 cash gift to a food bank might provide a certain amount of meals to those who can’t afford them. —

Bob Carlson, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 Advertisement Instead, the agency declared that closing Aliso Canyon will be possible only when the region’s gas demand falls to a certain level — likely not until the 2030s. —

Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024 Though engaging, the videos often provide a limited perspective as the AI platforms being used to create them may favor the dominant narratives available online about a certain time period. —

Melissa Fleur Afshar, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 There are a lot of men who are extremely successful and want things a certain way. —

Emi Nietfeld, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for a certain