Definitory
/ˈdɛf.ɪ.nə.tɔːr.i/noun
Serving to define or determine; in some historical uses, a council or body with defining authority.
Did you know?Definitory ultimately comes from Latin *dēfīnīre*, to “set bounds” or “bring to an end,” so its deepest ancestor is the same boundary-making force behind words tied to endings and limits.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheh₁-
“to put, place, set”
Latin
Latin
dēfīnīre
“to set bounds, determine, finish off”
Late Latin
Latin
dēfīnītōrius
“pertaining to defining or determining”
Middle English
English
definitorie
“serving to define; decisive, determining”
Modern English
English
definitory
“serving to define or determine; in some historical contexts, a defining council or authority”