defined
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of defined
First recorded in 1720–30; define ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
The effect on sentiment, the researchers find, comes not just from higher prices, but from how far and how often conditions have deviated from the relative stability that defined the prepandemic period.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
As a former teacher who spent many years working with at-risk youth, I came to believe that students are never defined by their circumstances.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
“The estate bears the name Shoemaker originally gave his villa, ‘Cedar Cliff’—a designation that eventually defined the very road on which it stands.”
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
Talk to any musician, regardless of genre, and they will tell you Davis defined swagger and cool.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
It was the fortuitous conjunction of these two vast reservoirs of philosophical and physical wealth that defined America's national interest and made it so special.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
