defined 1 of 2

Definition of definednext

defined

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verb

past tense of define
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2
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as in described
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group a woman who is defined by her unswerving loyalty to her friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defined
Verb
Under Pew’s approach, the middle class can mathematically shrink even when everyone’s income rises substantially — because membership is defined by closeness to a median that keeps moving up. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026 Yes, Justin Bieber is back—and so too are the fringed bras, butterfly bags, and low-rise jeans that defined the era. Meg Walters, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026 Historically, the region was defined by the steel industry. Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 Contrast ratio is defined as the difference between the brightest white tones and the darkest blacks. Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026 These players have partly defined this season, and they won’t be honored? Chris Branch, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 At the core of this diversity lies agriculture, which has for centuries defined the rhythm of life through the cycle of sowing and harvesting crops. Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026 This era, which began in 2012 and lasted until 2026, was defined by a surge of spiritual curiosity, emotional storytelling and artistic escapism. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 Stamper, a lexicographer and former editor at Merriam-Webster, charts the history of how thousands of colors came to be defined in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, published in 1961. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defined
Adjective
  • The piece highlights the challenges of documenting casualties amid ongoing conflict and restricted access for journalists.
    Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The restricted perspective allows the team behind the camera to shoot in continuity, starting with page one of the first episode and going more or less in order.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Rather, the hackers Smart and colleagues traced to an IP address in this city have been using the wily method his team uncovered to pilfer millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency.
    Jessica Klein, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Law enforcement obtained the license plate number of the Toyota and traced it to a home in Sterling Heights.
    Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Like all black holes, primordial black holes have mass and thus interact with gravity and are effectively invisible due to the fact that they are bounded by a light-trapping surface called an event horizon.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The area is bounded by the Interstate 485/Providence Road interchange and extends south to the South Carolina state line.
    Chase Jordan April 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • During the hearing, a prosecutor described the case as particularly severe.
    Abby Dodge, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Former clients described Motta encouraging people to get surgeries, and others discussed one particularly shameless episode in which a large church van, crammed with prospective plaintiffs, intentionally collided with a truck.
    Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • No back orders, unless specified by the individual vendor.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The federal government then refiled the lawsuit in the city specified by the judge; that case is ongoing.
    Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • People may benefit from a structured, straightforward assessment process conducted by qualified professionals, offering faster access and easier navigation compared to traditional models with long waitlists and limited specialists.
    Lucy Jones April 11, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The interview took place shortly after prosecutors outlined charges against eight people, including five men accused of second-degree murder in the deaths of seven workers killed in the July 1, 2025, explosion.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
  • That event outlined a series of transformative, agencywide initiatives aimed at advancing the National Space Policy and strengthening American leadership in space.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The cemetery was a communal space, yet each fence demarcated a private domain—my nature, my virtues, my gait, my mood.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Voyager 1 is nestled in the space demarcated by that stellar pyramid.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Defined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defined. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.

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