What does "define" mean?
A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.
Define
/dɪˈfaɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.
- Grammar: define is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: limit, alignment standard, assign, assigning.
- Useful contrasts: fuzzy, blurring, blurs.
- Usage evidence: If I had to define life in a word, it would be: Life is creation.
How to use "define"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "define" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "define" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "define" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "define" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "define" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "limit" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "define", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.
"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."
Verb
- 1 To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
"the defining power of an optical instrument"
- 2 decide upon or fix definitely wordnet
- 3 To settle, decide (an argument etc.) obsolete
"These warlike Champions, all in armour shine, / Assembled were in field the chalenge to define."
- 4 give a definition for the meaning of a word wordnet
- 5 To express the essential nature of something.
"I define myself as a techno-anarchist."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 determine the essential quality of wordnet
- 7 To state the meaning of a word, phrase, sign, or symbol.
"The textbook defined speed as velocity divided by time."
- 8 determine the nature of wordnet
- 9 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.
"Person 1: Is she good at math? Person 2: Define "good." If you mean if she is faster than the average middle schooler at multiplication, then yes. If you mean if she is able to do multivariable calculus, then no."
- 10 show the form or outline of wordnet
- 11 To demark sharply the outlines or limits of an area or concept.
"to define the legal boundaries of a property"
- 12 To establish the referent of a term or notation.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"If I had to define life in a word, it would be: Life is creation."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "define"?
Common synonyms include: limit, alignment standard, assign, assigning, baptize, be characteristic.
How do you use "define" in a sentence?
If I had to define life in a word, it would be: Life is creation.
How do you pronounce "define"?
Pronounced /dɪˈfaɪn/.
Etymology
From Middle English definen, from Old French definer, variant of definir, from Latin dēfīniō (“limit, settle, define”), from dē + fīniō (“set a limit, bound, end”).