define

[ dih-fahyn ]

See synonyms for: define defined defines defining on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),de·fined, de·fin·ing.

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.
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),de·fined, de·fin·ing.

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

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

Other words for define

3	state, name, describe, detail, enumerate

See synonyms for define on Thesaurus.com

Other words from define

de·fin·a·ble, adjective
de·fin·a·bil·i·ty, noun
de·fin·a·bly, adverb
de·fine·ment, noun
de·fin·er, noun
mis·de·fine, verb (used with object), mis·de·fined, mis·de·fin·ing.
non·de·fin·a·bil·i·ty, noun
non·de·fin·a·ble, adjective
non·de·fin·a·bly, adverb
non·de·fined, adjective
non·de·fin·er, noun
pre·de·fine, verb (used with object), pre·de·fined, pre·de·fin·ing.
re·de·fine, verb (used with object), re·de·fined, re·de·fin·ing.
self-de·fined, adjective
sem·i·de·fined, adjective
un·de·fin·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby define

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use define in a sentence

The appointment has yet to be announced, and the scope of the job hasn’t been fully defined yet because it’s a new position.
The Pentagon is taking a major step to deal with its diversity problems | Alex Ward | February 12, 2021 | Vox
Long-tail keyphrases are defined as those that are different from general keywords.
A comprehensive guide on using Google Trends for keyword research | Aayush Gupta | February 12, 2021 | Search Engine Watch
Most large stone circles in western England and Wales have clearly defined entrances, but it’s not clear that the proposed entryway at Waun Mawn served that purpose.
Stonehenge may have had roots in a Welsh stone circle | Bruce Bower | February 12, 2021 | Science News
Ambiguous loss is not only difficult to define, but it’s also difficult to live with.
Politics and conspiracy theories are fracturing relationships. Here’s how to grieve those broken bonds. | Jeff Schrum | February 11, 2021 | Washington Post
Scientists haven’t yet identified an “immune correlate of protection,” which is usually defined to be the level of antibodies in the blood at which they can feel confident that a person is going to be protected from infection.
Fauci: Vaccines for Kids as Young as First Graders Could Be Authorized by September | by Caroline Chen | February 11, 2021 | ProPublica

It was something ineffable and harder to define: freedom of speech.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead | Luke O’Neil | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
This was later repurposed in Europe as an explanation for racial superiority, and the term “Aryan” came to define a white race.
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans | Nina Strochlic | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
To define this show of support by major corporations for LGBT equality as a seachange would be no overstatement.
Corporations Are No Longer Silent on LGBT Issues | | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And I would like for this generation to define its own movement.
Dr. Howard Fuller's Injustice Education | Campbell Brown | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Modern conservatives rightly (as it were) define themselves against the culture at large; hipsters seek to do so as well.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really. | Ana Marie Cox | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In general, any personal property that may be sold; many of the statutes define it.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
The magnitude, and variety, and demands of the objects embraced by it, define the times necessary for engaging in it.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham
I suppose the more experience a man has had of life the more he hesitates to define what love really is.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
Cruelty is another cause, almost as general, though more difficult to define.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
The terms of the covenant must, therefore, define the designed extent of the objects of his death.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham

British Dictionary definitions for define

define

/ (dɪˈfaɪn) /

verb(tr)

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

Origin of define

C14: from Old French definer to determine, from Latin dēfīnīre to set bounds to, from fīnīre to finish

Derived forms of define

definable, adjective
definability, noun
definably, adverb
definer, noun

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

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