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

The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight Friday before losing some of its steam and settling into Category 4’s limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026

How can children manage recurring memories of planes taking down the skyscrapers that defined their childhood landscape? — Dr. Victor Fornari, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Texas barbecue is typically defined by salt-and-pepper brisket and pork ribs, but this new crop of halal pitmasters is adding inventive twists, often based on their own family heritages. — Ulaa Kuziez, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026

What counted as feminist was whether a woman knew herself well enough to make her own choices rather than be defined as the daughter or wife of a man. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

In a world that promises to be defined by AI, universities that fail to produce graduates who can use it productively will consign themselves to irrelevance. — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

In those interviews, the brothers are charmingly self-effacing and humble, a far cry from the braggadocious, aggressive posturing that defined their early celebrity. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

In her film, Sanguinetti presents a subtle thread about the nature of western spaces defined by ossified traditions, the face of which is being altered by the specter of modernity. — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there has been at least 320 mass shootings so far this year — which is defined by the organization as four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026