definite description

British  

noun

1. a description that is modified by the definite article or a possessive, such as the woman in white or Rosemary's baby

2. a similar plural expression, such as the kings of Scotland

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Example Sentences

In a sense, this process of disambiguating the reference for the name “Kevin” is a process of seeking a more definite description to supplement the proper name.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

A definite description is a way of analyzing names and object terms for the purpose of making them more like predicates.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Taking it to be a sort of request for a more definite description, he continued,— "A blate and fearsome sort of a fellow, you know."

From The Shadow of a Crime A Cumbrian Romance by Caine, Hall, Sir

Thus 'a man' is an ambiguous description, and 'the man with the iron mask' is a definite description.

From The Problems of Philosophy by Russell, Bertrand

The steam engine of Captain Savery, also an Englishman, is the first of which any definite description has been preserved.

From A Catechism of Familiar Things; Their History, and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery. With a Short Explanation of Some of the Principal Natural Phenomena. For the Use of Schools and Families. Enlarged and Revised Edition. by Anonymous