definition
Americannoun
-
the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear.
We need a better definition of her responsibilities.
-
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.
-
the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.
His biceps have great muscle definition.
-
Optics. sharpness of the image formed by an optical system.
-
Radio and Television. the accuracy of sound or picture reproduction.
noun
-
a formal and concise statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, etc
-
the act of defining a word, phrase, etc
-
specification of the essential properties of something, or of the criteria which uniquely identify it
-
the act of making clear or definite
-
the state or condition of being clearly defined or definite
-
a measure of the clarity of an optical, photographic, or television image as characterized by its sharpness and contrast
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although there is not a universal definition, many experts and educators rely on guidance from the bipartisan National Education Goals Panel, which has criteria similar to the questions asked by the federal survey.
From Los Angeles Times
Johnson argued the current definition in the bill was too "open-ended".
From BBC
Silver entered a bear market based on the definition of a drop of 20% or more from a recent high.
From MarketWatch
There wasn’t a clear definition of the line between “safe” and “dangerous.”
From Literature
"She was just fantastic, in every sense of the word. If you looked up the definition of mother, that was her, she did everything for those kids."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
