DEFINE
Dictionary entry overview: What does define mean?
• DEFINE (verb)
The verb DEFINE has 4 senses:
1. give a definition for the meaning of a word
2. determine the essential quality of
3. determine the nature of
4. show the form or outline of
Familiarity information: DEFINE used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• DEFINE (verb)
Meaning:
Give a definition for the meaning of a word
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Context example:
Define 'sadness'
Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):
determine; fix; limit; set; specify (decide upon or fix definitely)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "define"):
redefine (give a new or different definition of (a word))
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Determine the essential quality of
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Synonyms:
delimit; delimitate; define; delineate; specify
Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):
be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "define"):
determine (fix in scope; fix the boundaries of; the tree determines the border of the property)
redefine (give a new or different definition to)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Determine the nature of
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Context example:
What defines a good wine?
Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):
characterise; characterize (be characteristic of)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Show the form or outline of
Classified under:
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations
Synonyms:
delineate; define
Context examples:
The tree was clearly defined by the light / The camera could define the smallest object
Hypernyms (to "define" is one way to...):
show (make visible or noticeable)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
