by definition
idiom
: because of what something or someone is : according to the definition of a word that is being used to describe someone or something
A volunteer by definition is not paid.
A glider is by definition an aircraft with no engine.
Examples of by definition in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But allergies, by definition, are out of your control.
—
Susan Morrison, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
Whether beauty pageants — events that, almost by definition, objectify women — should have any role in today’s world is a matter of debate.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
Thanksgiving movies are harder to pin down, by definition domestic in both their setting and the holiday’s origins.
—Alex Ross Perry, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
Better still is rye whiskey, which by definition has more rye, and adds much welcome spice and complexity.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by definition
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Susan Morrison, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
Whether beauty pageants — events that, almost by definition, objectify women — should have any role in today’s world is a matter of debate.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
Thanksgiving movies are harder to pin down, by definition domestic in both their setting and the holiday’s origins.
—Alex Ross Perry, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
Better still is rye whiskey, which by definition has more rye, and adds much welcome spice and complexity.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by definition
Cite this Entry
“By definition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20definition. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
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