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
Both teams get to come to the rink with a certain amount of freedom, right?
—
Ben Morse, CNN, 24 June 2024
Russo, an economist and engineer, had earned a certain mystique not only for his role in the leak but also for spending 47 days in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
—Connie Schultz, Washington Post, 22 June 2024
Even if Chinese consumers begin to lose interest in e-commerce giants like JD and Alibaba, other markets are showing a certain thirst for low-cost goods in the face of inflationary pressures.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 21 June 2024
Plus, at a certain point, an individual is not likely to judge their danger accurately; a classic sign of occupational heatstroke is disorientation.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for a certain 
Ben Morse, CNN, 24 June 2024
Russo, an economist and engineer, had earned a certain mystique not only for his role in the leak but also for spending 47 days in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
—Connie Schultz, Washington Post, 22 June 2024
Even if Chinese consumers begin to lose interest in e-commerce giants like JD and Alibaba, other markets are showing a certain thirst for low-cost goods in the face of inflationary pressures.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 21 June 2024
Plus, at a certain point, an individual is not likely to judge their danger accurately; a classic sign of occupational heatstroke is disorientation.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for a certain
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 2 Jul. 2024.
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