Synonyms of defined

defined 1 of 2

adjective

as in restricted

having distinct or certain limits

well defined guidelines on the range of activities in which the intelligence agency can engage

Synonyms & Similar Words

• restricted
• limited
• finite
• definite
• narrow
• measured
• bounded
• specific
• circumscribed
• determinate
• confined
• detailed
• qualified
• modified
• fixed
• small
• determined
• constricted
• settled
• precise
• tiny
• exact
• moderate
• modest
• puny
• minute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undefined
• infinite
• unlimited
• unbounded
• indefinite
• limitless
• dimensionless
• endless
• boundless
• immeasurable
• unmeasured
• general
• vague
• innumerable
• countless
• illimitable
• incalculable
• inexhaustible
• measureless
• unfathomable
• indeterminate
• inestimable
• nebulous
• enlarged
• unqualified
• expanded
• bottomless
• unreserved
• large
• extensive
• considerable
• great
• substantial
• plentiful
• vast
• major
• copious
• big
• broad
• super
• voluminous
• handsome
• inclusive
• sizable
• comprehensive
• whole
• respectable
• universal
• bulky
• expansive
• escalated
• epic
• goodly
• global
• grandiose
• ample
• sweeping
• jumbo
• hefty
• oversize
• cosmopolitan
• bumper
• plenitudinous
• largish
• whacking
• hulking
• king-size
• overscale

defined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of define

1

as in traced

to draw or make apparent the outline of

the glass skyscraper's sleek silhouette was strikingly defined by the setting sun to its west

Synonyms & Similar Words

• traced
• outlined
• sketched
• delineated
• surrounded
• rounded
• silhouetted
• trimmed
• circled
• lined
• bounded
• framed
• margined
• drew
• edged
• fringed
• hemmed
• rimmed
• skirted
• encircled
• charted
• looped
• ringed
• mapped (out)
• diagrammed
• girdled
• compassed
• girthed

2

as in bounded

to mark the limits of

the river defines the town on the south

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bounded
• described
• limited
• demarcated
• delimited
• circumscribed
• marked (off)
• governed
• demarked
• terminated
• controlled
• determined
• delineated

3

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

• described
• characterized
• portrayed
• represented
• depicted
• identified
• classified
• specified
• categorized
• charactered
• indicated
• typed
• pigeonholed
• marked
• named
• stamped
• individualized
• distinguished
• colored
• particularized

4

as in specified

to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly

let me define the task so that there is no doubt in your minds about what needs to be done

Synonyms & Similar Words

• specified
• prescribed
• directed
• laid down
• arranged
• dictated
• ordered
• assigned
• selected
• told
• decreed
• required
• instructed
• set
• ordained
• controlled
• governed
• managed
• chose
• conducted
• fixed
• constrained
• led
• enjoined
• compelled
• forced
• settled
• obligated
• charged
• obliged
• commanded
• coerced
• adjured
• bade

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defined

Verb

Hudson’s makeup artist, Tonya Brewer, blurred her pores using a mattifying powder, volumized her lashes with a few swipes of a smudge-free mascara, defined her pout with a long-lasting lip liner, and more. —Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026

The team overcoming those injuries defined the season. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026

Postseason football is defined by grit and narrow margins. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026

Awards season momentum was in full swing, and the latest edition of Star Gazing captures the energy that defined this week. —Okla Jones, Essence, 12 Jan. 2026

The 2025 playoffs stand out for having seven Tier 3 QBs — defined as a solid starter who requires significant help from his defenses and ground games to win. —Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026

But compared with Kissinger, whose crusading interventionism defined a generation of America’s global relationships, Rubio often seems like a support staffer for the President. —Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

Opinion How is ‘merit’ defined in college admissions? —Jared Gans, The Hill, 12 Jan. 2026

Their stories connect visitors to the human side of a sport often defined by speed and machines. —Bill Bootz, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026