among the certain

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "among the certain" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear what is intended by "among the certain," as it lacks context and specificity. Example: "Among the certain individuals present, only a few were aware of the plan."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Among the Hymenoptera, certain wasps are parasites of planthoppers, leafhoppers, and treehoppers.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Since the sharing precise location remains a major privacy concern among the users, certain location-based services rely on contextual location (e.g. residence, work, etc).

Computer Networks

As these values continued their march unabated among the mainstream, certain multiculturalists assumed that to assert them among minorities would be deemed offensive, perhaps racist, and in the Muslim context even Islamophobic.

The Times

Since our roster is aimed at would-be donors among the public, certain kinds of nonprofits are ignored altogether.

Forbes

But on the survey conducted last week, Democrats had a 9-point advantage (48percentto39percentcent) among the most certain voters.

HuffPost

Among the seven certain pathogenic variants, four families were homozygous for the SH3TC2 Arg954* mutation, previously reported in several populations [ 6].

BioMed Research International

So I asked the company if the brothers were among those "certain members" of the Kwok family with whom Capco is doing business.

The Guardian

However, this rapid growth has made the discrepancy among certain components of the field all the more obvious.

Springer

In a post responding to commentary around President Obama's call for all to learn to code, Loukides (2014) highlights his amusement 'by the anxiety among certain programmers about the great unwashed getting into their privileged domain'.

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

We defined several mathematical functions to approximate the relationships among certain parameters within the system.

BMC Health Services Research

This gambit — the father as ideological cryptographic key — will sound familiar to anyone who has watched the response, among a certain sector of the Republican Party, to Barack Obama.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "among the certain" in formal writing. Instead, opt for clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives such as "among specific individuals" or "within a particular group".

Common error

A common mistake is to assume "certain" can be directly preceded by "the" in this construction. Remember "certain" needs a noun to modify, so restructure to something like "among certain members" or "among the specified few" to ensure grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

Incorrect Prepositional Phrase. The phrase "among the certain" is grammatically flawed. According to Ludwig AI, it lacks context and specificity, making it difficult to assign a clear grammatical function. The correct usage would involve specifying a noun after "certain" to define the group or items being referenced.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "among the certain" is grammatically incorrect and lacks clear meaning in standard English. Ludwig AI confirms that it requires restructuring to be grammatically sound. Better alternatives include phrases like "among specific individuals" or "within a particular group", which offer greater clarity and precision. Due to its incorrectness, the phrase is unsuitable for formal writing and should be avoided in academic, professional, and news contexts. It's important to specify the group or items being referenced clearly to ensure effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

among specific individuals

Replaces "certain" with "specific", providing greater clarity regarding the group being referenced.

within a particular group

Uses "within" instead of "among", and "particular" instead of "certain", creating a more formal tone.

among some people

Substitutes "certain" with "some", indicating an indefinite subset of a larger group.

among the select few

Replaces "certain" with "select few", suggesting a more exclusive or distinguished group.

within defined parameters

Emphasizes the presence of established criteria that determines which entities are considered within.

in selected cases

Switches from 'among' to 'in' and emphasizes specific occurrences where something applies.

with specific members

Focuses on individual members, replacing the more general 'certain'.

among designated participants

Highlights that individuals have been chosen or assigned to a specific group.

within the identified subset

Replaces 'certain' with 'identified subset' to emphasize specificity through prior identification.

amongst those specified

Utilizes 'amongst' (a variant of 'among') and 'specified' to indicate a pre-defined group.

FAQs

How can I correct the phrase "among the certain" in a sentence?

Replace "among the certain" with a more grammatically correct phrase such as "among certain individuals" or "among specific members" for clarity.

What is a better alternative to using "among the certain"?

Consider using alternatives like "within a specific group", "among some people", or "in selected cases" depending on the intended meaning.

Is it ever correct to use "among the certain" in formal writing?

No, it is generally not correct to use "among the certain" in formal writing. This phrase is grammatically awkward and unclear. Opt for more precise and standard alternatives.

What's the difference between "among certain people" and "among the certain"?

"Among certain people" is grammatically correct and refers to a subset of people who share a characteristic. "Among the certain" is incorrect because it doesn't clearly specify who or what is being referred to; it lacks a noun after "certain".