defining

American  

[dih-fahy-ning] / dɪˈfaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. decisive; critically important.

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

---

Other Word Forms

• nondefining adjective
• self-defining adjective

Example Sentences

This could mean three million barrels per day of additional oil might now hit the market, but there remain “many unknowns” right now around how Iran is defining ‘Iraq oil,’ Wan adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

This is a month that will go a long way to defining City's season.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“Job stability has become the defining feature of today’s workforce,” they wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

This discovery fills that gap and provides direct evidence of when these defining features first appeared.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

As Will had found with the smoke of his fire, that had the effect of defining the angel’s body so he could see it more clearly.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman