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definition

noun

def·i·ni·tion | \ ˌde-fə-ˈni-shən

Definition of definition

1a : a statement of the meaning of a word or word group or a sign or symbol dictionary definitions

b : a statement expressing the essential nature of something

c : a product of defining

2 : the action or process of stating the meaning of a word or word group

3a : the action or the power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear the definition of a telescope her comic genius is beyond definition

b(1) : clarity of visual presentation : distinctness of outline or detail improve the definition of an image

(2) : clarity especially of musical sound in reproduction

c : sharp demarcation of outlines or limits a jacket with distinct waist definition

4 : an act of determining specifically : the formal proclamation of a Roman Catholic dogma

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Examples of definition in a Sentence

For the last eight years or so, I've been watching the evolution of bikes made for women. At the beginning of that time, there were a small number of women's bikes available, most offered with low-end, sometimes no-name, spec, as if by definition all women riders were beginners. — Christine Bucher, Bicycling, March 2008 Not only is Ellen Byrne a chocolatier, but she takes the definition of artisan to a higher level. — Amy Johansson, Chocolatier, February/March 2006 One kind of poverty is that of the imagination—the inability to envision a future truly different from the present. Jasmine had long judged people based on whether or not they gave her food and clothing, but, as she watched Carolyn and Gus and other families, she found herself mulling different gauges of worth. She'd been working lately on a definition of love. — Katherine Boo, New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2005 Ideology thus provides definition of both systemic reality and values: it provides a set of preconceptions of what is and of what ought to be. — Warren J. Samuels, Modern Economic Thought, (1977) 1993 What is the legal definition of a corporation? A week of fishing is my definition of a vacation. a monitor with good definition and vibrant colors

Recent Examples on the Web

And proposed Treasury regulations on the subject create a broad definition of interest that may pinch some companies. — WSJ, "WSJ Tax Guide 2019: Interest Payments on Business Debt," 15 Feb. 2019 Perhaps the problem is we’re all dealing with a different definition. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "So, What Exactly Is a Rom-Com Actually?," 13 Feb. 2019 Civilians must have a different definition of hard. — P.j. O'rourke, Town & Country, "Roberta McCain, the Woman Who Shaped Senator John McCain," 29 Aug. 2018 The idea for the study came after Tseng was researching the genetics of sudden death and found that the medical literature seemed to have an imprecise definition of sudden cardiac death. — Kimberly Veklerov, SFChronicle.com, "Deaths often misclassified as cardiac arrest, UCSF study finds," 18 June 2018 That means downloading a two-hour movie in high definition in two minutes rather than 21. — Mae Anderson, The Seattle Times, "Can wireless challenge cable for home internet service?," 1 Oct. 2018 Lansky's brands have drawn attention in recent years for their production values: paying actors more and filming in high definition with Hollywood-style budgets and sets. — Adiel Kaplan, miamiherald, "The Steven Spielberg of porn sues to make Floridians stop pirating his raunchy videos," 12 July 2018 For a nearsighted someone who struggles to spot the puck even in high definition, Fox’s red comet that trailed a rocketed shot was ahead of its time. — Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, "It’s officially a trend to bring referees into the broadcast booth," 28 June 2018 Past agreements have foundered and come apart over small gaps in definitions. — Jon Wolfsthal, The New Republic, "What Just Happened?," 12 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'definition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for definition

Middle English diffinicioun, borrowed from Anglo-French diffiniciun, definiciun, borrowed from Latin dēfīnītiōn-, dēfīnītiō "fixing of a boundary, precise description," from dēfīnīre "to mark the limits of, determine, define" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

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