Meaning

To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly..

Definitions by Sense

1. To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
2. (obsolete) To settle, decide (an argument etc.)
3. To express the essential nature of something.
4. To state the meaning of a word, phrase, sign, or symbol.
5. To describe, explain, or make definite and clear; used to request the listener or other person to elaborate or explain more clearly his or her intended meaning of a word or expression.
6. To demark sharply the outlines or limits of an area or concept.
7. (mathematics) To establish the referent of a term or notation.
8. (programming) A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.

Example Sentences

the defining power of an optical instrument

Rings[…]very distinct and well defined.

Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.

These warlike Champions, all in armour shine, / Assembled were in field the chalenge to define.

I define myself as a techno-anarchist.

Your past mistakes do not define who you are.

Cantor defined a one-to-one correspondence between the points of the square and the points of the line segment. Every point in the square was associated with a single point in the segment; every point in the segment was matched with a unique point in the square.

The textbook defined speed as velocity divided by time.

Word Forms

• defines
• defining
• defined

Synonyms for define

Related Words

When Should You Use Define?

Use define when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions