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defined

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verb

past tense of define
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as in described
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defined
Verb
The values were not defined for respondents but left to their own interpretation. Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025 Direct care is defined as the hands-on care provided to residents by nurses or nurse aides, including feeding, bathing, dressing and medication administration. Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025 The parties and their counsel need to recognize that courts typically don’t understand commercial real estate finance and often don’t care about the nuances of how the parties allocated or defined certain risks. Joshua Stein, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025 In an era dominated by CGI, Hung emphasizes the physical authenticity that defined Hong Kong action while acknowledging modern techniques. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Mar. 2025 Gordon defined the Royals’ ethos of hard work and determination throughout this career. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025 The Exclusion Zone echoes the concept of Native American reservations in the United States—geographically and politically defined spaces created to remove Indigenous people from their ancestral lands and isolate them from broader society. Tony Bradley, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 The future will be defined by the interplay between agents and copilots, between automation and human oversight. Mike Villalobos, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this year has seen three measles outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases. Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defined
Adjective
  • According to someone with direct knowledge, the Heat ideally would like to keep point guard Davion Mitchell, an impending restricted free agent who has thrived in a bench role recently after his February acquisition from Toronto.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
  • If the Bruins re-sign their restricted free agents and leave their prospects in Providence, that gives them with four slots to fill.
    Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The violence that the Philippines has suffered in the last several decades, as well as its remaining ethnic and social tensions, can be traced to the legacy of imperial oppression.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
  • So while the advisory attributes 100,000 cancer cases in the country each year to alcohol, most cancers can’t be traced back to a single cause.
    Alice Park, TIME, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Lhasa block, bounded by fault-lines, forms southern Tibet.
    Joe Cash and Gopal Sharma, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The Lhasa block, bounded by fault-lines, forms southern Tibet.
    Joe Cash and Gopal Sharma, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Making matters worse, nine in 10 Haitians go all day without eating in what has been described as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Mary described her role as largely self-directed.
    E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Officials have not specified the nature of the injuries to any of the four people.
    Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2024
  • The types of chemicals were not specified in the arrest affidavit.
    Noe Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • None other than Emma Corrin will take on the role of Elizabeth Bennet in the six-part limited series, which actors including Jennifer Ehle and Keira Knightley have perfected in the past.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The streamer is also adapting John Steinbeck’s East of Eden as a limited series, with Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist and Hoon Lee leading the cast.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Lage outlined the similarities of the two works in his closing.
    Andrew Dalton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden has also outlined proposals that could result in significant layoffs of government employees, known as civil service workers.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Other common ants found in the state include the carpenter ant, characterized by their large, black bodies, and fire ants, known for their red color and affinity for building large mounds in yards that can be dangerous, Hayes said.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Although college sports have long been characterized by a divide between the ‘haves and have nots’, mid-major basketball programs encounter even greater challenges competing within this evolving landscape due to limited resources and geographical constraints.
    Mark LaSota, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Defined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defined. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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