definition

American  

[def-uh-nish-uhn] / ˌdɛf əˈnɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear.

   We need a better definition of her responsibilities.

2. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc., as found in dictionaries. An online dictionary resource, such as Dictionary.com, can give users direct, immediate access to the definitions of a term, allowing them to compare definitions from various dictionaries and stay up to date with an ever-expanding vocabulary.

3. the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.

   His biceps have great muscle definition.

4. Optics. sharpness of the image formed by an optical system.

5. Radio and Television. the accuracy of sound or picture reproduction.

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definition British  

/ ˌdɛfɪˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. a formal and concise statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, etc

2. the act of defining a word, phrase, etc

3. specification of the essential properties of something, or of the criteria which uniquely identify it

4. the act of making clear or definite

5. the state or condition of being clearly defined or definite

6. a measure of the clarity of an optical, photographic, or television image as characterized by its sharpness and contrast

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Other Word Forms

• definitional adjective
• definitionally adverb
• predefinition noun
• redefinition noun
• self-definition noun
• subdefinition noun

Etymology

Origin of definition

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English diffinicioun, from Old French diffinition, from Latin dēfīnītiōn- (stem of dēfīnītiō ), equivalent to dēfīnīt(us) ( definite ) + -iōn- noun suffix ( -ion )

Example Sentences

The Wives’ appeal is in the way they challenge such calcified definitions of “traditional” gender roles.

From Salon

Driver says Sarah’s story is one that many women can connect with, but as far as who the real woman was, there’s a lack of true definition.

From Los Angeles Times

In addition, UC Berkeley said it would revamp an online nondiscrimination page to clarify that it considers an antisemitism definition promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance when evaluating discrimination complaints.

From Los Angeles Times

But when she digs deeper, around a fifth of them actually meet her definition.

From The Wall Street Journal

“What is your definition of clean?” asks Kenny Stein of the Institute for Energy Research, a Washington think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• answer
• explanation
• interpretation
• rationale
• solution
• translation