defining
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The new policy preserves the benefits of life-sciences research while defining the areas of greatest risk, including prevention of accidental or intentional lab leaks, and penalties for irresponsible practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The defining question of our age isn’t whether superintelligence will exist, but who will have access to it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
In February, Burnham said, external it would be a "defining moment for the north" and "a powerful opportunity to unlock future growth".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
One of Odysseus’ defining triumphs becomes, in Nolan’s telling, something closer to an original sin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
What was really just a theatrical side show was now being enshrined in memory as the defining moment in the revolutionary drama.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
