Synonyms

define

American

[dih-fahyn] / dɪˈfaɪn /

verb (used with object)

to state or set forth the meaning of (a word, phrase, etc.).

They disagreed on how to define “liberal.”
to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of; describe.

to define judicial functions.
to fix or lay down clearly and definitely; specify distinctly.

to define one's responsibilities.

Synonyms:

enumerate, detail, describe, name, state
to determine or fix the boundaries or extent of.

to define property with stakes.
to make clear the outline or form of.

The roof was boldly defined against the sky.

verb (used without object)

to set forth the meaning of a word, phrase, etc.; construct a definition.

define British

/ dɪˈfaɪn /

verb

to state precisely the meaning of (words, terms, etc)
to describe the nature, properties, or essential qualities of
to determine the boundary or extent of
(often passive) to delineate the form or outline of

the shape of the tree was clearly defined by the light behind it
to fix with precision; specify

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of define

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English def(f)inen, from Anglo-French, Old French definer “to put an end to,” from Latin dēfīnīre ”to limit, define,“ equivalent to dē- “from, away from, out of” + fīnīre “to end”; see origin at de-, finish

Explanation

If you can't define a word, turn to the dictionary. That's always the best way to learn the definition. Likewise, anything you can describe completely is something you can define. The early French and Latin roots of the verb mean something closer to "to limit" or "to create a boundary," but this is really what we do when we define something: we limit its meaning to something specific. So when you're thinking about the word define, remember that you're looking to create a boundary of meaning around it, whether you're specifying the meaning of a word or a larger concept. To define a word such as astronomy is to define both the word and the realm of science that it's concerned with.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing define

The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 1

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

See Examples For:

define defines defined defining

“It is about protecting Nevada’s passion for soccer and making sure this moment does not define his journey.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

The argument, though, is that by relying too heavily on these ads, you can lose the chance to define your brand—and that good branding is what makes your Tier 2 pitches pay off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

If confirmed, the discovery could mark the first detection of a natural satellite outside our Solar System, potentially changing how astronomers define moons and planets.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

The company said BioWare was "a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly".

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Arguably the most important parallel between mass incarceration and Jim Crow is that both have served to define the meaning and significance of race in America.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Falling below that would make a lower low, the first half of the trading pattern — lower lows and lower highs — that defines a downtrend.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

They also allege dumping, which trade law defines as selling a product abroad for less than at home or below production costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

In a Foreign Policy essay last week, former Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid defines the central problem in Europe, plausibly but rather too vaguely, as “intergenerational hopelessness” and a downward spiral of economic expectation.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

That devastation defines the region Ukraine has just recaptured.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

But he is black-haired and gold-skinned and though his eyes are the same pale gray as the Commandant’s, there is no trace there of the gimlet flatness that defines most Masks.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

At the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro on Monday, the sea level hit 8.02 feet above the baseline, which is defined as the average daily lowest-water level observed between 1983 and 2001.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

In my experience, most people in their 40s have never sat down and figured this out, which means they’re saving toward a target they’ve never defined.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

That mission is defined as: "The responsible development and maintenance of advanced AI for the long-term benefit of humanity."

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

President Bola Tinubu kicked off his re-election campaign Saturday promising "a better tomorrow" as Nigeria prepares to head to the polls in a vote set to be defined by the rising cost of living.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

It was puzzling at first to the ER staff, and unusual for everyone, but it was also a defining moment for Van Gorp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

His early life's defining tragedy came when his elder brother Yonatan was killed leading the Entebbe hostage-rescue mission in Uganda.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

The wraparound configuration also allows the views to become a defining feature of the residence, rather than something reserved for a single room.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

We talk next to what became the defining image of last week's nationwide protests: the still impressive, yet fragile exterior of his town's 19th-Century town hall, charred from a fire.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

She didn’t think Fielding was crude at all, or that Richardson was a fine psychologist, but she wasn’t going to be drawn in, defending, defining, attacking.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023