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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
2
as in bounded
to mark the limits of
the river defines the town on the south
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
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
Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Athletes are often defined by their times, medals, and records, but stripping back their impact to numbers can be reductive, particularly in Fraser-Pryce’s case.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
More Ethan Miller/Getty Images Their history is defined by brutality.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Entrepreneurial well-being is a multifaceted concept defined as the experiencing of satisfaction, positive affect, and psychological functioning.
—Samantha Dewalt, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Local food in Hawai‘i is singular, defined by the natural merging of flavors across the islands’ many diasporas.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Only by facing this history head-on can Americans begin to imagine a politics not defined by the gun.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Delivered to a high standard by Thales’s international team, in close collaboration with industry partners, this achievement showcases the quality, openness, and technical expertise that have defined Thales’s approach to the Type 31 delivery – earning praise from the Royal Navy.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
With 2025 on track to bring more threats against members of Congress than any year in history, law enforcement agencies are bracing for a volatile era defined by surging political violence, swelling protest movements and a more muscular federal role in local communities.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Charisma and control once defined professional strength.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Athletes are often defined by their times, medals, and records, but stripping back their impact to numbers can be reductive, particularly in Fraser-Pryce’s case.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
More Ethan Miller/Getty Images Their history is defined by brutality.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Entrepreneurial well-being is a multifaceted concept defined as the experiencing of satisfaction, positive affect, and psychological functioning.
—Samantha Dewalt, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Local food in Hawai‘i is singular, defined by the natural merging of flavors across the islands’ many diasporas.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
Only by facing this history head-on can Americans begin to imagine a politics not defined by the gun.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Delivered to a high standard by Thales’s international team, in close collaboration with industry partners, this achievement showcases the quality, openness, and technical expertise that have defined Thales’s approach to the Type 31 delivery – earning praise from the Royal Navy.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2025
With 2025 on track to bring more threats against members of Congress than any year in history, law enforcement agencies are bracing for a volatile era defined by surging political violence, swelling protest movements and a more muscular federal role in local communities.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defined
Adjective
-
The lockdown was later lifted, but the university said access to campus would remain restricted to students, faculty, and staff with a valid school ID as local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continued to investigate the threat.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
YouTube also autoplays non-restricted content when users hover over the video while scrolling.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For a year and a half, the detectives first approached a large volume of low-match DNA results which could be traced back to existing American family trees.—
Claire Lempert,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The fact that the FBI recovered the firearm will accelerate the investigation, Chittum said, since it can be traced and tested for fingerprints and DNA evidence.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Elephants moved silently in the distance, and a herd of impala bounded across the plain, skittish but unconcerned with us.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The area is a rough triangle bounded by the 12th Street viaduct to the south, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the north, Santa Fe Street to the east and Liberty Street to the west.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It’s gotten so bad that, in one of the largest H-2A criminal cases ever, a federal judge described the abuse of these workers as a form of modern-day slavery.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Boelter’s motivation remains unclear, but investigators found a one-and-a-half-page letter, described as rambling and difficult to read, that was ascribed to him.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Though Gaudí’s fund-raising circular had specified the cross’s appearance, and the model in the warehouse had survived, how to actually build it and which materials to use had been up to Faulí and his team.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
While the White House has specified its stance on the measure, White House AI and Crypto Sacks has tended to side with industry concerns about similar proposals and will likely be a strong voice against the initiative.—
Owen Tedford,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Labor experts believe that the limited enforcement is largely due to limited resources.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
-
However, limited number of shows for the film did not help its cause at the box office.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Krueger outlined the trade-offs.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Trump’s 2017 legislation outlined the list of SSTBs to limit eligibility for a 20% deduction for certain businesses.—
Ana Teresa Solá,Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The team confirmed 13 of them — demarcated with an asterisk below — and The Charlotte Observer independently confirmed the four others.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Aug. 2025
-
And yet this life style seemed demarcated by objects that were ugly, strange, and uncanny.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defined. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share