frame

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: the physical makeup of an animal and especially a human body : physique, figure
b
: something composed of parts fitted together and united
2
a
: the underlying constructional system or structure that gives shape or strength (as to a building)
b
: a frame dwelling
3
a
: an open case or structure made for admitting, enclosing, or supporting something
a window frame
b(1)
frames plural : that part of a pair of glasses other than the lenses
(2)
: a part of a pair of glasses that holds one of the lenses
c
: a structural unit in an automobile chassis supported on the axles and supporting the rest of the chassis and the body
d
: a machine built upon or within a framework
a spinning frame
4
a
: an enclosing border
b
: the matter or area enclosed in such a border: such as
(1)
: an individual drawing in a comic strip usually enclosed by a bordering line
(2)
: one picture of the series on a length of film
(3)
: one of the squares in which scores for each round are recorded (as in bowling)
also : a round in bowling
(4)
: a complete image for display (as on a television set)
c
: an inning in baseball
e
: an event that forms the background for the action of a novel or play
5
6
obsolete : the act or manner of framing

Illustration of frame

Illustration of frame
  • frame 2a

frame

2 of 3

verb

framed; framing

transitive verb

1
: to enclose in a frame
frame a picture
also : to enclose as if in a frame
a face framed in a wealth of auburn hair
2
a
: to give expression to : formulate
frame a rule that brings order into our perceptionsVirginia Woolf
b
: to draw up (something, such as a document)
frame a written constitution
c
: plan, contrive
framed a new method of achieving their purpose
d
: shape, construct
frame a figure out of clay
3
a
: to contrive the evidence against (an innocent person) so that a verdict of guilty is assured
He claims that he was framed for the murder.
b
: to devise (something, such as a criminal charge) falsely
frame a case against a neighbor to get rid of him
c
: fix sense 7b
The wrestling matches were framed.
4
: to construct by fitting and uniting the parts of the skeleton of (a structure)
frame a house
5
: to fit or adjust especially to something or for an end : arrange
framed the test to evaluate students' understanding of the material
6
obsolete : produce

intransitive verb

1
archaic : proceed, go
2
obsolete : manage
framable adjective
or frameable
framer noun

frame

3 of 3

adjective

: having a wood frame
frame houses

Examples of frame in a Sentence

Noun the frame of a house I need new frames for my glasses. Verb It was the first state to frame a written constitution. She framed her questions carefully. He took the time to frame a thoughtful reply. She claims that she was framed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Cracking open the entire egg and pulling out the duck meat, Cardi immediately took a bite — before spitting it out and running out of frame. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 With her height, athletic frame and spot-on fashion sense, the five-time Grand Slam champion can really pull off the darker locks, in our humble opinion. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The retailer is permanently barred from selling, delivering, or giving away any unfinished frames or receivers in the state of New York, according to the judgment. Maysoon Khan, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 Even modern GPUs get some performance improvements from this latest patch, with the RTX 4070 seeing nearly a 14 percent frame rate jump, according to Digital Foundry tests. Tom Warren, The Verge, 6 Mar. 2024 Dealers will replace the 60% rear seat-back frame sub-assembly, free of charge. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Sources close to the matter told Fox News Digital that employees were given a monthly quota and pressured to upsell frames to veterans that are not covered by the VA – meaning that veterans, if the allegations are true, have had to pay more money out of pocket. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Instead they’re dressed in clothing with skin-tone hues that accentuate the female frame, Waddington expresses. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 That’s nothing new for the list or the star herself, but her performance on the tally this frame is noteworthy. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Priscilla may not directly proclaim that Priscilla was in an abusive relationship, but Coppola aptly frames moments where the viewer’s own discomfort may provide the answer to whether this dynamic was abusive or caring. Yolanda MacHado, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 The president framed protecting IVF as a bipartisan issue. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 The gathering is framed as a social club that is explicitly for men only, with the aim of creating a space away from family life to relax and speak freely. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 In a feisty address to the nation, Biden framed his race against Trump as forward-versus-backward and sought to convince Americans of a historic economic rebound despite their lingering anxieties. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 In The Dynasty: New England Patriots, ESPN columnist Howard Bryant frames Brady’s comeback similarly to that of Swift’s. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Gun rights advocates frame the bill as a common-sense measure to prevent federal authorities from taking away weapons based on reinterpretation of federal law by bureaucratic agencies. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Throughout her campaign, which launched in February 2023, also in Charleston, S.C., Haley framed her unique status as a woman of color in the Republican field as evidence for the viability of the American dream. Jeongyoon Han, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Flashbacks frame histories deftly and allow a glimpse of the family dynamic, cast up on the screen as if from a delicately worn projector. Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
After the shutter button is pressed, Samsung uses advanced multi-frame processing to combine multiple images into a single picture and AI to automatically adjust the photo as necessary. Samantha Kelly, CNN, 5 Apr. 2023 To start with, the company’s Super Resolution feature kicks in at zoom levels of 25x and higher, and uses multi-frame processing to combine over 10 images to reduce noise and enhance clarity. Jon Porter, The Verge, 15 Mar. 2023 These tools often leverage multi-frame photography that appears directly in the platform, but also gets repurposed for downloadable PDF digital catalogs. Outside Online, 17 Dec. 2021 This is where software processing comes in: Xiaomi’s post-image processing uses a proprietary algorithm that cleans up the shot with multi-frame HDR and defogging. Ben Sin, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021 The weld between the outrigger assembly and the body's sub-frame assembly may be inadequate, which could result in failure of the aerial unit during use. Detroit Free Press, 5 June 2021 The Spurs were 0-3 in OT heading into Monday, including extra-frame losses to Atlanta and Indiana earlier this month. Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frame.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

Middle English, to benefit, construct, from Old English framian to benefit, make progress; akin to Old Norse fram forward, Old English fram from

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Adjective

1780, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frame was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near frame

Cite this Entry

“Frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frame. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frame

1 of 3 verb
framed; framing
1
a
: plan entry 2 sense 1
framed a new strategy
b
: shape entry 1 sense 1, construct
frame a figure out of clay
c
: to give expression to
frame a reply
d
: to set down in writing
frame a constitution
2
: to make (an innocent person) appear guilty
3
: to enclose in a frame
frame a picture
framer noun

frame

2 of 3 noun
1
: the bodily structure of an animal and especially a human being : physique
2
: an arrangement of parts that gives form or support to something
the frame of a house
3
a
: an open case or structure for holding or enclosing something
a picture frame
a window frame
b
plural : the part of a pair of glasses that holds the lenses
4
: a turn in bowling
5
: an enclosing border: as
a
: one of the drawings in a comic strip
b
: one picture of the series on a length of film or in a television transmission
6
: a particular state or mood
in a good frame of mind

frame

3 of 3 adjective
: having a wood frame
frame houses

Medical Definition

frame

noun
1
: the physical makeup of an animal and especially a human body : physique, figure
2
a
: a part of a pair of glasses that holds one of the lenses
b
frames plural : that part of a pair of glasses other than the lenses

Legal Definition

frame

transitive verb
framed; framing
1
: to formulate the contents of and draw up (as a document)
in the two hundred years since our Constitution was framedW. J. Brennan, Jr.
2
: to contrive the evidence against (as an innocent person) so that a verdict of guilty is assured

More from Merriam-Webster on frame

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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