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
The act of faith, of believing, is by definition something that can’t be seen.
—
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Energy, by definition, is about connection.
—Bettina Funcke, Artforum, 7 Jan. 2026
Anything the 79-year-old designer co-signs is, by definition, the cream of the crop, as is the case with Natura Bissé’s Diamond Cocoon Sheer Cream.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson might not be a unicorn by definition.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Energy, by definition, is about connection.
—Bettina Funcke, Artforum, 7 Jan. 2026
Anything the 79-year-old designer co-signs is, by definition, the cream of the crop, as is the case with Natura Bissé’s Diamond Cocoon Sheer Cream.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson might not be a unicorn by definition.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 14 Dec. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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