definitive

[dih-fin-i-tiv]

adjective

1. most reliable or complete, as of a text, author, criticism, study, or the like.

   the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson.

2. serving to define, fix, or specify definitely.

   to clarify with a definitive statement.

3. having its fixed and final form; providing a solution or final answer; satisfying all criteria.

   the definitive treatment for an infection; a definitive answer to a dilemma.

   Synonyms: supreme, ultimate, absolute, complete

4. Biology.,  providing the environment in which a fully developed parasite is able to reproduce, as is provided by a definitive host.

noun

1. a defining or limiting word, as an article, a demonstrative, or the like.

2. Philately.,  a stamp that is a regular issue and is usually on sale for an extended period of time.

definitive

/ dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv /

adjective

1. serving to decide or settle finally; conclusive

2. most reliable, complete, or authoritative

   the definitive reading of a text

3. serving to define or outline

4. zoology fully developed; complete

   the definitive form of a parasite

5. 1. (of postage stamps) permanently on sale

   2. (as noun) a definitive postage stamp

noun

1. grammar a word indicating specificity of reference, such as the definite article or a demonstrative adjective or pronoun

Other Word Forms

• definitively adverb
• definitiveness noun
• nondefinitive adjective
• nondefinitiveness noun
• undefinitive adjective
• undefinitiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of definitive¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin dēfīnītīvus, equivalent to dēfīnīt(us) ( definite ) + -īvus adjective suffix ( -ive )

Example Sentences

But no one knows last year’s top performing private-equity fund: no definitive list of individual fund returns exists.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All of that leaves investors latching onto Williams’s language—not because it is definitive, but because it is one of the few available signals before the Fed falls silent.

Read more on Barron's

All of that leaves investors latching onto Williams’s language—not because it is definitive, but because it is one of the few available signals before the Fed falls silent.

Read more on Barron's

It’s hardly surprising that there’s a strong market for books and articles claiming to demystify the painting’s creator, even though not much is definitively known about the Italian polymath.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Even if the data shows a modest year-over-year increase, I would view it as a cautiously optimistic signal rather than a definitive turning point,” Hepp wrote.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• actual 
• categorical 
• clear-cut 
• conclusive 
• decisive 
• definite 
• exhaustive 
• precise 
• reliable 
• specific 
• ultimate 
• unambiguous