well-defined
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-defined
First recorded in 1695–1705
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.
Humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere live in well-defined pods and usually follow the same migratory routes every year, travelling between feeding areas in cold water and breeding grounds in the tropics.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Like Neapolitan pizza, the New York bagel has certain well-defined characteristics: rolled from a cold-fermented, high-gluten, low-hydration dough flavored with malt syrup, kettle-boiled, then baked.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
Bringing digital-asset activity into a well-defined regulatory perimeter would strengthen oversight, improve compliance with anti-money-laundering standards and reduce user incentives to rely on opaque—and often vulnerable—offshore markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
This provides an excellent opportunity for Congress to establish sensible criteria and well-defined remedies for each category of tariffs.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026
Naturally, Europe and its many loops were well-defined, but farther afield things got sketchier.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
