different between define vs definition

English

Etymology

From Middle English definen, from Old French definer, variant of definir, from Latin d?f?ni? (“limit, settle, define”), from d? + f?ni? (“set a limit, bound, end”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??fa?n/
• Rhymes: -a?n

Verb

define (third-person singular simple present defines, present participle defining, simple past and past participle defined)

1. To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.

   • Rings […] very distinct and well defined.

2. (obsolete) To settle, decide (an argument etc.) [16th-17th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.3:

     These warlike Champions, all in armour shine, / Assembled were in field the chalenge to define.

3. To express the essential nature of something.

4. To state the meaning of a word, phrase, sign, or symbol.

5. To describe, explain, or make definite and clear; used to request the listener or other person to elaborate or explain more clearly his or her intended meaning of a word or expression.

6. To demark sharply the outlines or limits of an area or concept.

7. (mathematics) To establish the referent of a term or notation.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

define (plural defines)

1. (programming) A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.
   • 1996, James Gosling, Henry McGilton, The Java Language Environment

     From the computer programming perspective, Java looks like C and C++ while discarding the overwhelming complexities of those languages, such as typedefs, defines, preprocessor, unions, pointers, and multiple inheritance.

   • 1999, Ian Joyner, Objects unencapsulated: Java, Eiffel, and C++ (page 309)

     Anyone who has attempted to do OO programming in a conventional language using defines will find out that it is impossible to realize the benefits easily, if at all, without compiler support.

Translations

Further reading

• define in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• define in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• feed-in, feedin', infeed

Galician

Verb

define

1. third-person singular present indicative of definir
2. second-person singular imperative of definir

Portuguese

Verb

define

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of definir
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of definir

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /de?fine/, [d?e?fi.ne]

Verb

define

1. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of definir.
2. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of definir.

Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic ?????? (daf?na).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /de.fi??ne/

Noun

define

1. treasure trove

Declension

References

• define in Turkish dictionaries at Türk Dil Kurumu

English

Etymology

From Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin d?f?n?ti?, from d?f?ni?. Equivalent to define +? -tion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?f??n??(?)n/, /?d?f??n???n/
• Hyphenation: def?in?ition

Noun

definition (countable and uncountable, plural definitions)

1. (semantics, lexicography) A statement of the meaning of a word or word group or a sign or symbol (dictionary definitions).

2. (usually with the definite article the) A clear instance conforming to the dictionary or textbook definition.
   • 2008 May, Shoeless Wayne Santos, “Baroque” (game review), GameAxis Unwired, Hardware Zone Pte, page 51:

     Baroque is a good game, but only for a very narrow subset of the gaming audience. It is the very definition of a niche title.

   • 2016 March 1, Stuart Heritage, “Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem”, The Guardian:

     Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem

   • 2019 September 25, Chris Cilizza, “The Ukraine call ‘transcript’ is pretty darn close to a smoking gun”, ThePo!nt, CNN:

     That Trump just came out and asked for Zelensky to investigate the Bidens – after reminding him several times of how much the US did for Ukraine!!!! – is something very close to the textbook definition of a quid pro quo.

3. A statement expressing the essential nature of something; formulation
4. The action or process of defining.
5. The act of defining; determination of the limits.
6. A product of defining.
7. The action or power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.

8. Clarity of visual presentation, distinctness of outline or detail.

9. Clarity, especially of musical sound in reproduction.
10. Sharp demarcation of outlines or limits.

11. (bodybuilding) The degree to which individual muscles are distinct on the body.
12. (programming) A statement which provides a previous declaration with a value or body of a subroutine (in the case of function).
13. (mathematics) A statement that establishes the referent of a term or notation.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:definition

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• high-definition

Related terms

Translations

See also

• definiendum
• definiens
• genus
• differentia

References

• definition on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Noun

definition

1. genitive singular of definitio

Middle French

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin d?f?n?ti?.

Noun

definition f (plural definitions)

1. definition (clarification of this definition is needed)

Descendants

• ? Dutch: definitie
• ? English: definition
• French: définition
  • Haitian Creole: definisyon
  • ? Romanian: defini?ie

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?f?n?¹?u?n/

Noun

definition c

1. a definition

Declension

Related terms

• definiera
• definiering
• definitionsfråga
• definitionsförsök
• definitionsmängd
• definitionsmässig
• definitionsordbok
• definitiv

See also

• betydelse
• finit
• ordförklaring

References

• definition in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)