define
verb (used with object)
to state or set forth the meaning of (a word, phrase, etc.).
was defining
-
past progressiveof define.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
By contrast, Perry’s relationship with her fiery mother was defining.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
It doesn’t like look investors are ready to bet against them either, even if the backdrop looks a lot like it did the last time tech was defining the bull market.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
Again, the 3-point discrepancy was defining for the Utes, who went 13-of-28 in the first meeting and 3-of-15 in the second.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Last season was defining for Brown, who garnered his second All-Star selection and second-team All-NBA nod while helping lead the Celtics within a game of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 19, 2023
In fixing there the ground of every plea, he had indomitable assurance of faith that he was defining and declaring for every man an irreducible and ineffaceable moral law.
From Abraham Lincoln's Cardinal Traits; A Study in Ethics, with an Epilogue Addressed to Theologians by Clark S. Beardslee
