Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "define" []

  • To state the precise meaning of (a word or sense of a word, for example). (verb-transitive)
  • To describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain: define the properties of a new drug; a study that defines people according to their median incomes. (verb-transitive)
  • To delineate the outline or form of: gentle hills that were defined against the sky. (verb-transitive)
  • To specify distinctly: define the weapons to be used in limited warfare. (verb-transitive)
  • To give form or meaning to: "For him, a life is defined by action” ( Jay Parini). (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "define" in a sentence
  • "We can therefore define the constant BRATE as: #define BRATE"
  • "I asked Democrats about that, and they said well, the way that we interpret the term define, is that there's going to be an awful lot of negative advertising."
  • "The next term that we must accurately define is "North American"; all too often we think of North Americans as those from the United States and Canada."