defines

VERB

give description

Synonyms

STRONGEST

characterize construe decide delineate describe designate detail determine exemplify explain illustrate interpret prescribe represent specify spell out

STRONG

ascertain assign denominate denote dub elucidate entitle etch expound formalize label name tag translate

WEAK

call a spade a spade lay it out nail it down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

confuse hesitate hide misrepresent obscure

WEAK

distort tangle twist

VERB

delimit, outline

Synonyms

STRONGEST

delineate distinguish establish limit mark set

STRONG

belt border bound circumscribe compass confine curb demarcate edge encircle enclose encompass envelop fix flank gird girdle rim settle surround verge

WEAK

fence in mark out set bounds to stake out wall in

Antonyms

STRONG

aid assist center free help let go lose open release unloose unsettle

WEAK

confuse distort tangle twist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This sense of his musical self is what sets Thompson apart — and defines his craft.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

Barabak: A popular expression — which Steyer mentioned — defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

There is a word that defines “LifeHack,” and that word is “Whoosh.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Instead, Virginia law specifically defines “general election” as occurring “on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.”

From Slate • May 8, 2026

The United Nations now defines genocide as an act, or acts, “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz