Showing results for "defining"

• present participle of define.

defining

American  

[dih-fahy-ning] / dɪˈfaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. decisive; critically important.

   Taking a course in architecture was a defining turn in her life.

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Other Word Forms

• nondefining
  adjective
• self-defining
  adjective

Explanation

Something defining is essential to what something is. A defining moment in your life helps makes you what you are. In the dictionary, definitions tell you what words mean, and the similar word defining has to do with what things are too. The defining characteristic of a chair is that you sit on it. The defining feature of food is you can eat it. People have defining features too: if you went to a summer camp and had an amazing time, it could be a defining time in your life. Defining things helps shape and mold us.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

defining

Now it doesn’t really have any exclusive or defining titles, yet Microsoft spent billions scooping up IPs with nothing to show for it.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

He has said he "intends to win" the election, setting the stage for what could be the defining contest of his political life.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

It was also the latest example of Bellingham's ability to score goals at vital times, to make the defining contributions when England need them most.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Industry governance of AI is promising, but the Constitution limits how much authority Congress may vest in private actors, and the judiciary is still defining exactly where those boundaries lie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Each of them knew that a defining moment in his life was nearly at hand; none wanted to waste it.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown