The meaning of DEFINE is to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of. How to use define in a sentence.

the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear. We need a better definition of her responsibilities. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc., as …

Economists normally define a recession as two successive quarters of negative growth.

A definition states the meaning of a word using other words. This is sometimes challenging. Common dictionaries contain lexical descriptive definitions, but there are various types of definition – all with …

Read our collection of word stories detailing the etymology and semantic development of a wide range of words, including ‘dungarees’, ‘codswallop’, and ‘witch’. Access our word lists and commentaries …

If you define something, you show, describe, or state clearly what it is and what its limits are, or what it is like. We were unable to define what exactly was wrong with him. [VERB wh] He was asked to define …

1. to state or set forth the meaning of (a word, etc.). 2. to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of; describe. 3. to specify: to define responsibilities. 4. to determine or fix the boundaries or …

Nov 1, 2025 · From Middle English definen, from Old French definer, variant of definir, from Latin dēfīniō (“limit, settle, define”), from dē + fīniō (“set a limit, bound, end”).

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