Synonyms of defining

defining

verb

present participle of define

1

as in tracing

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

• tracing
• outlining
• sketching
• delineating
• surrounding
• circling
• trimming
• silhouetting
• rounding
• lining
• framing
• bounding
• drawing
• skirting
• encircling
• edging
• charting
• looping
• rimming
• ringing
• fringing
• hemming
• margining
• mapping (out)
• girthing
• compassing
• girdling
• diagramming

2

as in describing

to mark the limits of

the river defines the town on the south

Synonyms & Similar Words

• describing
• bounding
• limiting
• delimiting
• governing
• demarcating
• marking (off)
• circumscribing
• terminating
• controlling
• demarking
• determining
• delineating

3

as in characterizing

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

• describing
• characterizing
• portraying
• representing
• depicting
• identifying
• classifying
• charactering
• categorizing
• specifying
• indicating
• typing
• pigeonholing
• marking
• individualizing
• distinguishing
• naming
• stamping
• particularizing
• coloring

4

as in specifying

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

• specifying
• prescribing
• directing
• dictating
• arranging
• ordering
• laying down
• telling
• assigning
• selecting
• choosing
• managing
• controlling
• instructing
• governing
• setting
• decreeing
• requiring
• leading
• conducting
• constraining
• forcing
• fixing
• coercing
• ordaining
• enjoining
• settling
• compelling
• bidding
• commanding
• charging
• obligating
• obliging
• adjuring

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defining

To colleagues, Tafoya’s defining characteristic was preparation. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026

The red sweaters from his debut became a street-style signature, while his cummerbund has emerged as a defining accessory. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Returning after a six-year hiatus, the Gotham Audience Award celebrates films that transcend the screen to become defining cultural moments, capturing audiences’ attention through their impact, reach, and resonance. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026

This list encapsulates century-defining women whose opinions and perceptions of reproduction continue to shape everyday lives, policy, and feminist pursuits. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026

But while campaigns spend millions defining their opponents, voters are weighing issues that affect their everyday lives. — Alexis Guerrero, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Yet as black became a defining color of modern fashion, most famously through Gabrielle Chanel’s little black dress of 1926, its association with mourning gradually loosened. — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

In From Day One As countries build generation-defining infrastructure—road and rail tunnels, smart stadiums and hospital precincts—connectivity is too often bolted on late in construction. — Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Whether China and the United States blunder into war before that window closes will be among the defining questions of the coming years. — Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026