definede‧fine /dɪˈfaɪn/ ●●● S2 W2 AWL verb [transitive] 
the ability to define clients’ needs The duties of the post are difficult to define.clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor.define something as something 70% of the workers can be defined as low-paid.2to explain exactly the meaning of a particular word or idea: I’ll now try to define the term ‘popular culture’.define something as something A budget is defined as ‘a plan of action expressed in money terms’. Define precisely what you mean by ‘crime’.3to show the edge or shape of something clearly: The bird has sharply defined black and rust markings.—definable adjective
WORD ORIGINdefine
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French definer, from Latin definire, from finire ‘to limit, end’VERB TABLE
define
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | define |
| he, she, it | defines | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | defined |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have defined |
| he, she, it | has defined | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had defined |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will define |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have defined |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am defining |
| he, she, it | is defining | |
| you, we, they | are defining | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was defining |
| you, we, they | were defining | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been defining |
| he, she, it | has been defining | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been defining |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be defining |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been defining |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Dietary fibre can be loosely defined as the cell-wall material of plants.
- Each of us might define the concept of freedom in a slightly different way.
- The dictionary defines it as "a narrow passage".
- Early childhood educators are rarely involved in defining problems, shaping solutions, or choosing options.
- It must define the target and the date by which it is to be achieved.
- Some one else defines who they are and what they stand for as public figures.
- The outer boundary of a closed figure usually defines its size.
- The rest of the movie, however, is not as successful; motivations are unexplained and characters are less than defined.
- They define a good patient as one who accepts their state-ments and their actions uncritically and unquestioningly.
- This, clearly, is another key concept in the theory, so how is it defined?
Longman Language Activatorthe meaning of something
what a word, sign, or statement means: · This word 'spring' has several different meanings.· We convey meaning not only by our words but also by our actions.meaning of: · There is a chart that explains the meaning of all the symbols on the map.hidden meaning (=a meaning that is not directly stated): · Was there a hidden meaning behind his words?
one of the meanings of a word that has several meanings: sense of: · In the dictionary the different senses of each word are marked by numbers.in its broadest/fullest sense (=in the most general meaning of the word): · I'm using the word "education" in its broadest sense here.
the important meaning that something has, especially if the meaning is not immediately clear: significance of: · Freud explained the significance of some of the objects and situations in Anna's dream.special significance: · Nothing can be more exciting than the first time you receive red roses. They have special significance.
the way that you explain the meaning of a word: definition of: · Could one of the class give me a definition of the word "equilibrium"?somebody's definition of something: · Obviously your definition of "rich" is very different from mine.
a feeling or an idea that a word makes you think of that is not its actual meaning: · "Bermuda" with its connotations of fun and sunpositive/negative connotation: · For most people "motherhood" has a very positive connotation.
to explain the meaning of a word or phrase: · Each of us might define the concept of freedom in a slightly different way.define something as something: · The dictionary defines it as "a narrow passage".define something loosely/broadly (=define something in a way that is not very exact): · Dietary fibre can be loosely defined as the cell-wall material of plants.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. The bird has sharply defined black and rust markings.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Independent films are, broadly defined, movies that appeal to sophisticated audiences.
The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. The bird has sharply defined black and rust markings. Independent films are, broadly defined, movies that appeal to sophisticated audiences. (=one that is necessary in order to be a particular type of person or thing)· Originality is one of the defining characteristics of a great band.
(=something that shows the real character or purpose of something)· The win was a defining moment in the boxer’s career.
(=say exactly what the scope is)· The group’s first task was to define the scope of the review.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Fat women are defined as undesirable, asexual, maternal, sexually desperate, rampant or repressed.· What young people come to define as intellectual competence what it means to know things and use themis shaped by their schooling.· Although there are many types of dementia they can generally be defined as involving progressive and irreversible brain failure.· The suffocation of social pressure, the idea of self-worth as defined by men, it all rings true.· Third, we are, inpart at least, talking about an activity which appears to be defined as problematic by users themselves.· The power goes beyond that which can be defined as physical or mental.· When they are present they are present for the most part performing female roles as defined by that society.· Kennedy because he was said to lack the punch and aggressiveness defined as essential Kennedy traits.
· The Meaning and Purpose of Regulation Economic regulation might be defined broadly as government interference in what could be a market-based activity.· Personality Personality can be broadly defined as the propensities within an individual to act a certain way, given a particular context.· Independent films are, broadly defined, movies that appeal to sophisticated audiences, usually produced outside the traditional studio system.
· Progress on each syllabus is clearly defined in the contents section describing the units.· The clearly defined black spots and red bands of courage that set the rainbow apart from other trout are truly remarkable.· Quadrant 2 contains those activities where goals and outputs are more clearly defined but the means to achieve them are not.· A cable industry trade group said the technological exemption has not been clearly defined by legal tests.· The institution is expected to wait until investigations are complete and criminal responsibilities are more clearly defined before bringing charges.· Plot: It should be clearly defined and complex enough to keep the reader involved.· Acronyms and symbols are defined clearly and used consistently.· Develop a mission statement of two sentences or less that clearly defines your definition of personal and business success.
· Within this framework, every character is sharply defined.· His nose was long and straight and his mouth was sharply defined and beautifully shaped.· In fact there are some nice examples of mixes of higher education and new technology thriving in sharply defined cultural niches.· Only she, and you as her parents, have any sharply defined reality.· The buildings were two stories high, sharply defined by the hard Hopperesque light.· None of these élites had sharply defined boundaries, and there was much overlap among them.
NOUN· Equally, how is language pedagogy to be defined in relation to other areas of enquiry that impinge upon it?· It is helpful to define these areas in writing so that you both know where you are.· In the late nineteenth century, at the time when the border was defined, the area was sparsely popula-ted.· She defines the area of feminist epistemology as that of developing theoretical accounts of knowledge which retain continuity with women's experiences.· Still, his borrowings and his changes do at least define his area of interest.· The face is defined as that area below the eyebrows and extending down to the chin.· The reproducible symbolic visual image became a mode of defining a social area of credit or of power.
· Despite this there have been various Parliamentary attempts to define the phrase.· However, few make any attempt to define it or shape it in positive ways.· Actually, I made no attempt to define anything.· Each was an attempt to define the respective limits of integration and loyalty.· Inevitably, this attempt to define the most powerful school of art since the war is going to lead to fierce arguments.· If this be thought to be disingenuously restrictive, an attempt to define away the opposition, then consider the alternative.· One would therefore expect to find an attempt to define what debentures are.· Browsing: a definition Various attempts at defining the nature of browsing have been made.
· First, it entails defining the site's boundaries beforehand, and these are not always known with certainty.· Of course, that figure depends on how you define the geographic boundaries of the area.· The need to define the boundaries of obedience is at the heart of Richardson's novel.· Every political system defines its boundaries of legitimate action differently.· None of these élites had sharply defined boundaries, and there was much overlap among them.· In this chapter we define the boundaries of the sports industry and outline the key contributors to its economic importance.
· These findings are consistent across studies despite variations in methodology, ways of defining social class and populations studied.· The consumption of ducks has increased in recent years, so it may be practical to define the various classes of ducks.· The test of benefit of a class leaves the courts considerable discretion as to how to define the class.· We shall treat this problem in greater detail when we define the major classes of political culture.· In a clearly stratified society, the interests of this audience were predominantly defined by class.· But their first difficulty is to define class.· CenterLine's software can now define object classes with Objectivity/DB and interactively access Objectivity/DB objects.· ParaSet defines a new product class based on parametric software development, which manages the complexity of design and maintenance.
· You will be able to define your needs without knowing the solution.· The Disabled Persons Act 1986 recommends, but does not legislate, that local authorities should define need and provide for it.· Who defines teachers' professional needs?· Severe urgency was defined as an urgent need to defecate which has to be relieved in less than one minute to avoid incontinence.· In other areas geriatrics patients are defined by their need for rehabilitation and multi-disciplinary care.· Each school was encouraged to define its particular needs and prepare a programme which would best meet them.· Consequently, management performance is defined as a need to know whether money was spent wisely.· There was a tendency to acquiesce in low expectations of disadvantaged children and to define their needs in emotional rather than educational terms.
· A-CONFORMOLINES is used to supply the location coordinates of a set of points defining the position of the boundary of each zone.· The authority and task boundaries that define his position, however, continually shift like sand.· Dole, the hardest of men to manage, has moved with glacial slowness to define his own position.· This is a standard operating procedure that enables our grassroots membership to define the small-business positions on important issues.· They may define positions that have often been repeated, but they can not be given a timeless quality.· The new managers generally defined their new positions by their responsibilities, not their relationships.· The contours of the tube are then defined by the position of the entanglement points in the network.
· By defining our problem more clearly we help ourselves in deciding what we are going to do about it.· Increasingly, federal officials were defining the problems of urban areas as local problems requiring local solutions.· She must first define the problem implicit in her client's questions and decide which parameters are relevant.· He would have the resources and training to be able to help them and to define and solve their problems.· In spite of this we do need to make an effort to define the problem.· Since we are unlikely to find the best definition we should try defining the problem in alternative ways.· But, of course, safety had been defined out of the problem.· The view of pedagogy proposed here, then, makes teachers responsible for defining their own problems and providing their own solutions.
· Thus a set type can be defined as a named relationship between record types.· It came to me that this was a defining moment in the relationship between these two brilliant minds.· Temple defined the relationships which constituted our real wealth as existing in terms of family, community and nation.· Moreover, we use space to define our relationships.· The virgin is the reserved figure who does not define herself in terms of her relationships with men.· The problem should be clearly and explicitly defined, and the relationship to health should be stated. 2.· The object will be one of those defined in the Zone Relationship Diagram mentioned above.· A bond can be defined as a unique relationship between two people that is specific and endures through time.
· Emerging autonomy - the employees begin to define their own role but still need guidance. 6.· Like the others in the managers' networks, their peers defined the managerial role according to their own priorities.· The truth of this does not make it easy to define the teacher's role in management.· No wonder the new managers found it difficult to make sense of and define their new role.· The other was that in defining individual teachers' roles, schools were asked to recognize the importance of job-satisfaction.· He is therefore deeply dependent on the structure of the society to define his role.· The new treaties will define that role and extend it.· In fact, nearly half of the superiors explicitly mentioned agenda setting in defining the managerial role.
· Progress on each syllabus is clearly defined in the contents section describing the units.· Instead, the Cut / Copy Rectangle command used the exact position of the cursor to define the vertical section of text.· Section 24 provides for a power of summary arrest in respect of arrestable offences as defined in that section.· Columns are defined as vertical sections of text separated from other text by tab or tab-align codes.· Thus corporal punishment is defined in the section with reference to the tort of battery.· It is for this reason that technical terms be clearly defined in this section of the proposal.
· It is recommended that this is defined as a fixed set by the Project Manager concerned.· Leaders have a clearly defined set of values.· It is, in any case, impossible to define a consistent set of masculine interests served by such stereotyping.· Certain occupational groups style themselves as professions and the concept is defined in terms of a set of purported characteristics.· The nature of the relationships is defined by a set of keywords followed by the name of the related module.· Exchange of cost information is clearly important in defining the set of possible agreements and arriving at one.· It discusses the current status of the different detection methods and summarises their applicability to defined set of foods and food products.
· Obligations can also be defined in negative terms, by excluding duties which would otherwise arise.· Markets define things in terms of their exchange value.· The consultants working on the Fastlink plan will define the terms of a competition to encourage interest among private companies.· A StructuralFunctional Definition A state can be defined in terms of its essential structures and functions rather than by its legal standing.· We shall define the term as follows.· That product can be identified and defined in terms of its customer, internal or external.· So before we examine the debate in more detail let us define our terms.· Every minute of his life was defined in terms of the opening second of the fight.
· It is difficult to define which words or phrases constitute jargon.· An activated word might be defined as any word placed in a context such that it takes on emotional intensity.· Helpfully the New Oxford Dictionary is on hand to define any difficult words that may crop up.· He defines the Arabic word hamas as enthusiastic, but intelligent, anger.· And you define yourself by the words you use, in my case words that seek to present bare facts.· Dictionaries define one word in terms of others, and this characteristic may be shared to some extent by semantic memory.· A learner's dictionary will define far fewer words and concentrate on examples of usage for those words.· A sentence spent defining a word or phrase can make valid the rest of your answer.
VERB· But these will be accompanied by organizational arrangements, systems of administration and working conventions which will also help to define policy.· Using eight criteria that help define the risk-reward equation, Bloomberg takes a look at Albers and his fund.· Its special force of percussive tone helps to define musical entries and mark changes of tempo.· He would have the resources and training to be able to help them and to define and solve their problems.· These help to define how consumers' participation decisions relate to price changes.· They help to define the prey's body as a body.· What lies ahead is a battle that will help define the 21st century.· It has helped particularly in defining its nature.
WORD FAMILYnoundefinitionadjectivedefinite ≠ indefiniteverbdefineadverbdefinitely ≠ indefinitely
1to describe something correctly and thoroughly, and to say what standards, limits, qualities etc it has that make it different from other things: the ability to define clients’ needs The duties of the post are difficult to define.clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor.define something as something 70% of the workers can be defined as low-paid.2to explain exactly the meaning of a particular word or idea: I’ll now try to define the term ‘popular culture’.define something as something A budget is defined as ‘a plan of action expressed in money terms’. Define precisely what you mean by ‘crime’.3to show the edge or shape of something clearly: The bird has sharply defined black and rust markings.—definable adjective