definite
clearly defined or determined; not vague or general; fixed; precise; exact: a definite quantity; definite directions.
having fixed limits; bounded with precision: a definite area.
positive; certain; sure: It is definite that he will take the job.
defining; limiting.
Botany. (of an inflorescence) determinate.
Origin of definite
1Other words for definite
Other words from definite
- def·i·nite·ness, noun
- non·def·i·nite, adjective
- non·def·i·nite·ly, adverb
- non·def·i·nite·ness, noun
- qua·si-def·i·nite, adjective
- qua·si-def·i·nite·ly, adverb
- sem·i·def·i·nite, adjective
- sem·i·def·i·nite·ly, adverb
- sem·i·def·i·nite·ness, noun
- un·def·i·nite, adjective
- un·def·i·nite·ly, adverb
- un·def·i·nite·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with definite
- definite , definitive
Words Nearby definite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use definite in a sentence
His touch is firm and percussive, his ear tuned toward a definite, stirring pulse.
Remembering Chick Corea, An Endlessly Inquisitive Jazz Pioneer | Andrew R. Chow | February 12, 2021 | TimeThe simulation results give a definite answer to this habitability problem, at least in terms of the importance of feedbacks and luck.
Earth Has Stayed Habitable for Billions of Years. Exactly How Lucky Did We Get? | Toby Tyrrell | January 21, 2021 | Singularity HubThe idea that there is a definite clear-cut answer is not true, because respected scientists differ in their views.
The U.K. is delaying the second dose of COVID vaccines to 12 weeks. Is that even safe? | Katherine Dunn | January 12, 2021 | FortuneThe exemplar of this group of ideas is the Copenhagen interpretation, the textbook version of quantum theory, which is most popularly understood to suggest that particles don’t have definite properties until those properties are measured.
A New Theorem Maps Out the Limits of Quantum Physics | Anil Ananthaswamy | December 3, 2020 | Quanta MagazineThe Hawks’ turnaround starts with outside shooting, a definite concern heading into the year.
Do you think that as we get older our thoughts shift to the more abstract, the music, than the definite, the lyrics?
Griswold was undeniably an incursion on democratic powers with a definite whiff of activism.
The Right Wing Screams for the Wambulance Over Gay Marriage Ruling | Walter Olson | October 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe report had one definite effect: rumblings about the antitrust exemption ceased.
The mother has a definite opinion of what form justice should take for General Motors.
The Cops Who Found Out the Truth About GM's Deadly Cars—in 2006 | Michael Daly | July 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn fact, the Midwest is the only region where Clinton lacks a definite lead.
Cleveland, LeBron James, and the 2016 Republican Convention | Lloyd Green | July 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAguinaldo withheld his decision until Paterno could report to him the definite opinions of his generals.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanQuantitative estimation does not furnish much of definite clinical value.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThat she had her definite reason he knew, as a woman knows when another woman is wearing a last year's gown.
Bella Donna | Robert HichensHe even fancied that something of challenge flashed from her, though without definite words or gesture.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodMuch later, in the case of all but gifted children, do the mysteries of harmony begin to take on definite form and meaning.
Children's Ways | James Sully
British Dictionary definitions for definite
/ (ˈdɛfɪnɪt) /
clearly defined; exact; explicit
having precise limits or boundaries
known for certain; sure: it is definite that they have won
botany
denoting a type of growth in which the main stem ends in a flower, as in a cymose inflorescence; determinate
(esp of flower parts) limited or fixed in number in a given species
Origin of definite
1Derived forms of definite
- definiteness, noun
- definitude (dɪˈfɪnɪˌtjuːd), 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
Browse