for a certain while

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "for a certain while" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a non-specific duration of time during which something occurs or is true. Example: "I decided to stay in the city for a certain while before moving back home."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"For a certain while, Serebrennikov was in favor, but that turned out to be a disappointment," she told me.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

One person should handle investments for a certain period, while the other pays the bills; rotate and repeat.

The New York Times

So the next year and again in 1924, at close approaches of Mars, the United States government requested all radio stations to observe complete silence for a certain period while operators listened for Martian signals.

The New York Times

Garland, a noted criminal lawyer who is known in the region for a certain flamboyance while representing the rich and famous, blistered Atlanta investigators by citing a previous botched investigation.

The New York Times - Sports

For instance, in some cases, jobseekers going to other EU countries to look for work can export their former country's unemployment benefits for a certain period while looking for work.

Vice

(Paragraph 9) Why is it that one spiritual father imposes a penance of an entire year's absention from Holy Communion for a certain wrongdoing, while another imposes just a month or even a week?

Huffington Post

For example, if there were five scoring patterns included in a class and three of them had a severity grade 2 for a certain position, while the others had a severity grade 3, we needed to choose between these.

BMC Public Health

The ALFF measures the low-frequency spontaneous fluctuation of neural activity for a certain voxel, while ReHo measures the regional homogeneity of spontaneous neural activity among neighboring voxels, which may interpret the differential findings in ALFF and ReHo.

BioMed Research International

I don't think we can prove anything for certain while we're on this planet living a physical existence.

Huffington Post

The in-plane thermal conductivity exhibits a minimum for a certain interfacial width, while the cross-plane thermal conductivity increases modestly in increasing the width of the interfaces.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Though advanced, usually such implementations lack of generality and are well-suited for a certain numerical method while not compatible with other ones, making it difficult to reuse the code in other contexts.

Computers & Structures

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "for a certain while" when you want to indicate a limited, unspecified duration, implying that something is true or will occur only for a particular length of time without being precise. Consider it as a stylistic variation of "for a while" or "for some time".

Common error

While grammatically sound, "for a certain while" is less common than alternatives like "for a while" or "for some time". Using it too frequently can make your writing sound stilted or unnatural. Vary your phrasing for better flow.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "for a certain while" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, indicating the duration of an action or state. As seen in Ludwig, it specifies that the action occurs during a limited and somewhat indefinite period.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "for a certain while" is a grammatically correct but relatively uncommon way to express a limited duration. As Ludwig AI confirms, it functions as an adverbial phrase, specifying that an action or state occurs temporarily. While its meaning is clear, the phrase is not as frequently used as simpler alternatives such as "for a while" or "for some time", making it sound slightly more formal or stylistically distinct. It appears most often in News & Media sources. Therefore, while perfectly acceptable, consider context and audience when choosing between "for a certain while" and its more common alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

for a while

Omits "certain", making the duration even less specific.

for some time

Uses "some time" as a more general substitute for a specific, but indefinite, duration.

for a limited time

Highlights the restriction on duration, similar to the implied limitation in the original phrase.

for a period

Replaces "while" with the more formal "period", indicating a specific length of time.

for a set period

Suggests a duration that has been pre-determined or agreed upon.

for a spell

Replaces "while" with the slightly more old-fashioned "spell", suggesting a short, indefinite duration.

for an interval

Uses "interval" to specify a particular segment in time during which something happens.

for a season

Substitutes "while" with "season", implying a duration tied to a particular time of year or activity.

temporarily

Expresses the idea of a non-permanent state, similar to "for a certain while".

for the interim

Implies a temporary arrangement until something more permanent is established.

FAQs

What does "for a certain while" mean?

The phrase "for a certain while" means for a limited or unspecified period of time. It indicates that something is true or will happen only for a particular duration.

How can I use "for a certain while" in a sentence?

You can use "for a certain while" to indicate a temporary state or action. For example, "I decided to stay in the city for a certain while before moving back home".

What can I say instead of "for a certain while"?

You can use alternatives like "for a while", "for some time", or "temporarily" depending on the context.

Is "for a certain while" formal or informal?

"For a certain while" is generally considered neutral in tone, suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although alternatives like "for some time" might be preferred in more formal settings.