definitive
/dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv
/adjective
1(Of a conclusion or agreement) done or reached decisively and with authority: a definitive decision...
- He added: ‘It is far too early to reach any definitive conclusions and, in some areas, we may never reach that goal.’
- It has found that numerous and serious deficiencies in the paper did not allow it to reach the same definitive conclusions reached by the authors.
- It comes as a surprise, then, to learn that many medical studies include too few patients to reach any definitive conclusion.
Synonyms
conclusive, final, ultimate;
decisive, unconditional, unqualified, absolute, categorical, positive, definite
1.1(Of a book or other text) the most authoritative of its kind: the definitive biography of Prince Charles...
- Written by Teddy Fennelly, the book is deemed to be the definitive text on the co-operative movement in Ireland.
- Fortunately, this may not be the definitive book on Bill Brandt.
- On the Arts and Disciplines of the Liberal Letters was the definitive text for the Middle Ages.
Synonyms
authoritative, exhaustive, most reliable, most complete, most perfect, most scholarly, best, finest, consummate;
classic, standard, recognized, accepted, approved, official, established
2(Of a postage stamp) for general use and typically of standard design, not special or commemorative.This review includes definitive and commemorative stamp types with some exceptions....
- Everyday stamps are called definitives, and are available continuously, being reprinted as necessary.
- There are two types of postage stamps: definitives and commemoratives.
noun
A definitive postage stamp: low-value British definitives simply have a portrait of the reigning monarch...
- In contrast, the second set of definitives, the ‘Five Year Plan Series’, were forward looking and depicted the nation assuming its historical destiny as it sought to reconstruct its greatness through economic modernisation.
- The monarch, flag, maple leaf, and Parliament Building definitives are not included in this study.
Usage
Definitive is often used, rather imprecisely, when definite is actually intended, to mean simply ‘clearly decided’. Although definitive and definite have a clear overlap in meaning, definitive has the additional sense of ‘having an authoritative basis’. Thus, a definitive decision is one which is not only conclusive but also carries the stamp of authority or is a benchmark for the future, while a definite decision is simply one which has been made clearly and is without doubt.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French definitif, -ive, from Latin definitivus, from definit- 'set within limits', from the verb definire (see define).