Define
/dɪˈfaɪn/noun
To state or explain the exact meaning of a word or concept.
Did you know?Define comes from Latin definire, literally “to set bounds,” and its deeper root is the same one behind finish and finite: the idea of drawing a limit around reality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁-
“to put, place, set”
Latin
Latin
fīnīs
“end, limit, boundary”
Latin
Latin
dēfīnīre
“to set bounds to, determine, fix”
Old French
Old French
definer
“to determine, settle, define”
Middle English
English
define
“to determine the limits or meaning of something”
Modern English
English
define
“to state the precise meaning of a word or concept”