as in descriptions
a vivid representation in words of someone or something
he gave us his definition of the perfect romantic evening on the town
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Recent Examples of definitions
When the House settlement was finalized, those definitions were thought to concern boosters, collectives and others who use NIL as pretext for pay-to-play arrangements, meaning deals intended to direct an athlete to attend or remain at a particular college.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 May 2026
This perspective reflects a rejection of narrow definitions that reduce the meaning of caregiving roles.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 May 2026
That’s a term that has slightly different definitions depending on what side of the state line someone’s on.
—Sofi Zeman
may 11, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
The third full moon in a single season with four full moons is also sometimes referred to as a blue moon, though the actual color of the lunar disk remains normal for both definitions!
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 May 2026
The bill adjusts Tax Increment Financing (TIF) definitions, providing the county with the flexibility of funds to support the project.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
First, State Farm assesses claims for wind and hail damage using definitions and exclusions that do not appear in customers' policies, say plaintiffs' lawyers and Drummond, the Oklahoma attorney general.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Much of what these devices capture may fall outside traditional definitions of privacy, especially in public spaces.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Technical definitions vary about what constitutes a global recession, but the gist is a period of sluggish or negative economic growth.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 May 2026
This perspective reflects a rejection of narrow definitions that reduce the meaning of caregiving roles.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 May 2026
That’s a term that has slightly different definitions depending on what side of the state line someone’s on.
—Sofi Zeman
may 11, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2026
The third full moon in a single season with four full moons is also sometimes referred to as a blue moon, though the actual color of the lunar disk remains normal for both definitions!
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 May 2026
The bill adjusts Tax Increment Financing (TIF) definitions, providing the county with the flexibility of funds to support the project.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
First, State Farm assesses claims for wind and hail damage using definitions and exclusions that do not appear in customers' policies, say plaintiffs' lawyers and Drummond, the Oklahoma attorney general.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Much of what these devices capture may fall outside traditional definitions of privacy, especially in public spaces.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Technical definitions vary about what constitutes a global recession, but the gist is a period of sluggish or negative economic growth.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for definitions
Noun
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Officials have said the descriptions reflect observations made at the time and do not include conclusions about the nature of the phenomena.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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According to descriptions by people who knew her, Martha was about 5 feet tall.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The imagery, made in Haiti, New York, Florida, and her current home of Los Angeles, uses both personal, documentary photographs and more surreal, formal portraits to link Cadet’s personal history to a broader meditation on the Black diasporic experience.—
Elly Fishman,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
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Artists in the 18th century would often include a person of color, who would sometimes be imaginary, in their portraits of wealthy white sitters to embellish the painting and highlight the high status of the main subject, according to the researchers.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
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For its inaugural season, in partnership with the Vasarely Foundation, the hotel debuted an exhibition across its lawn that drew over 30,000 visitors, and each guest room features a work by Dutch painter Roan van Oort, who is known for his textured canvases and raw depictions of the natural world.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Though several artworks from the 1600s may well represent Shakespeare, only two are widely regarded as possibly accurate depictions.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fallon showed framed pictures of him hanging out with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and posing with racecar studs Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
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Rittenhouse also posted pictures of himself in a hospital bed as well as a close-up shot of the spider's bite mark.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Noun
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These portrayals offer gentle surprises and a nice emotional balance.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
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Pentagon leaders’ positive portrayals present an incomplete picture at best, people familiar with intelligence assessments told us.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Definitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/definitions. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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