definition
Americannoun
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the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear.
We need a better definition of her responsibilities.
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the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc., as found in dictionaries. An online dictionary resource, such as Dictionary.com, can give users direct, immediate access to the definitions of a term, allowing them to compare definitions from various dictionaries and stay up to date with an ever-expanding vocabulary.
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the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.
His biceps have great muscle definition.
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Optics. sharpness of the image formed by an optical system.
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Radio and Television. the accuracy of sound or picture reproduction.
noun
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a formal and concise statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, etc
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the act of defining a word, phrase, etc
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specification of the essential properties of something, or of the criteria which uniquely identify it
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the act of making clear or definite
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the state or condition of being clearly defined or definite
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a measure of the clarity of an optical, photographic, or television image as characterized by its sharpness and contrast
Other Word Forms
- definitional adjective
- definitionally adverb
- predefinition noun
- redefinition noun
- self-definition noun
- subdefinition noun
Etymology
Origin of definition
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English diffinicioun, from Old French diffinition, from Latin dēfīnītiōn- (stem of dēfīnītiō ), equivalent to dēfīnīt(us) ( definite ) + -iōn- noun suffix ( -ion )
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 definition, occupying the gray area between a bar and a restaurant, taverns aren’t fancy.
By definition, one of the five major Hollywood studios taking over another is consolidation.
From BBC
That definition, however, seems to vary from home cook to home cook.
From Salon
The object or objects found will then be assessed by experts to determine if they meet the legal definition of "treasure" under the Treasure Act 1996.
From BBC
Until they disagreed on one important thing: the definition of mushroom.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
