Showing results for "defining"

• present participle of define.

defining

American  

[dih-fahy-ning] / dɪˈfaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. decisive; critically important.

   Taking a course in architecture was a defining turn in her life.

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Other Word Forms

• nondefining
  adjective
• self-defining
  adjective

Explanation

Something defining is essential to what something is. A defining moment in your life helps makes you what you are. In the dictionary, definitions tell you what words mean, and the similar word defining has to do with what things are too. The defining characteristic of a chair is that you sit on it. The defining feature of food is you can eat it. People have defining features too: if you went to a summer camp and had an amazing time, it could be a defining time in your life. Defining things helps shape and mold us.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defining

“Canada is entering a defining period of investment and industrial growth that will shape the country’s economy for decades to come,” said Chun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Benn had not competed at the 10st 7lb welterweight limit for more than four years, with the two defining nights of his career coming at middleweight against Eubank.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Thirty-six years after Nigel Benn stopped Iran Barkley in the opening round in Las Vegas, his son was chasing his own defining night.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Toreno Winn, stylist, photographer and creative director, is drawn to the experimental qualities of CDG, Junya Watanabe and Sacai, with playful proportions and unexpected silhouettes defining his collection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Its emergence was accompanied by the development of a new stone tool technology, now recognised as a defining feature of this species.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari