definite

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definite

precise; exact; positive; certain: a definite decision; specific: a definite time; particular; well-defined

Not to be confused with:

definitive – reliable; complete: the definitive works of Shakespeare; satisfying all criteria: a definitive scientific study; absolute, ultimate, supreme

def·i·nite

(dĕf′ə-nĭt)

adj.

a. Clearly defined; explicitly precise: a definite statement of the terms of the will. See Synonyms at explicit.

b. Forthright and unambiguous: The doctor was very definite about what foods you should avoid.

2. Clearly developed or firmly decided: no definite idea of what to do for a career.

3. Readily distinguished or certain: at a definite disadvantage.

4. Grammar Limiting or particularizing.

5. Botany

a. Of a fixed number usually less than 20, as certain floral organs, especially stamens.

b. Cymose; determinate.

[Middle English diffinite, defined, from Latin dēfīnītus, past participle of dēfīnīre, to define; see define.]

def′i·nite·ly adv.

def′i·nite·ness n.

Usage Note: Definite and definitive both apply to what is precisely defined or explicitly set forth. But definitive most often refers specifically to a judgment or description that serves as a standard or reference point for others, as in the definitive decision of the court (which sets forth a final resolution of a judicial matter) or the definitive biography of Nelson (that is, the biography that sets the standard against which all other accounts of Nelson's life must be measured).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

definite

(ˈdɛfɪnɪt)

adj

1. clearly defined; exact; explicit

2. having precise limits or boundaries

3. known for certain; sure: it is definite that they have won.

4. (Botany) botany

a. denoting a type of growth in which the main stem ends in a flower, as in a cymose inflorescence; determinate

b. (esp of flower parts) limited or fixed in number in a given species

[C15: from Latin dēfīnītus limited, distinct; see define]

ˈdefiniteness n

definitude n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

def•i•nite

(ˈdɛf ə nɪt)

adj.

1. clearly defined or determined; precise.

2. having fixed limits.

3. positive; certain.

4. defining; limiting.

5. (of an inflorescence) determinate.

[1520–30; < Latin dēfīnītus limited, precise, past participle of dēfīnīre; see define, -ite²]

def′i•nite•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	definite - precise; explicit and clearly defined; "I want a definite answer"; "a definite statement of the terms of the will"; "a definite amount"; "definite restrictions on the sale of alcohol"; "the wedding date is now definite"; "a definite drop in attendance" clear - readily apparent to the mind; "a clear and present danger"; "a clear explanation"; "a clear case of murder"; "a clear indication that she was angry"; "gave us a clear idea of human nature" defined - clearly characterized or delimited; "lost in a maze of words both defined and undefined"; "each child has clearly defined duties" distinct - easy to perceive; especially clearly outlined; "a distinct flavor"; "a distinct odor of turpentine"; "a distinct outline"; "the ship appeared as a distinct silhouette"; "distinct fingerprints" explicit, expressed - precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication; "explicit instructions"; "she made her wishes explicit"; "explicit sexual scenes" indefinite - vague or not clearly defined or stated; "must you be so indefinite?"; "amorphous blots of color having vague and indefinite edges"; "he would not answer so indefinite a proposal"
	2.	definite - known for certain; "it is definite that they have won" certain - established beyond doubt or question; definitely known; "what is certain is that every effect must have a cause"; "it is certain that they were on the bus"; "his fate is certain"; "the date for the invasion is certain"

definite

adjective

1. specific, exact, precise, clear, particular, express, determined, fixed, black-and-white, explicit, clear-cut, cut-and-dried (informal), clearly defined It's too soon to give a definite answer.
specific general, confused, loose, obscure, vague, unclear, fuzzy, indefinite, hazy, indeterminate, imprecise, ill-defined, indistinct, undetermined, inexact

2. clear, explicit, black-and-white, clear-cut, unequivocal, unambiguous, guaranteed, cut-and-dried (informal) We didn't have any definite proof.

3. noticeable, marked, clear, decided, striking, noted, particular, obvious, dramatic, considerable, remarkable, apparent, evident, distinct, notable, manifest, conspicuous There has been a definite improvement.

4. certain, decided, sure, settled, convinced, positive, confident, assured She is very definite about her feelings.
certain uncertain, undecided

Usage: Definite and definitive should be carefully distinguished. Definite indicates precision and firmness, as in a definite decision. Definitive includes these senses but also indicates conclusiveness. A definite answer indicates a clear and firm answer to a particular question; a definitive answer implies an authoritative resolution of a complex question.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

definite

adjective

1. Having distinct limits:

determinate, fixed, limited.

2. Without any doubt:

clear, clear-cut, decided, distinct, pronounced, unquestionable.

3. Known positively:

certain, positive, sure.

Idiom: for certain.

4. Clearly, fully, and sometimes emphatically expressed:

categorical, clear, clear-cut, decided, explicit, express, positive, precise, specific, unambiguous, unequivocal.

Translations

مُحَدَّدمُحَدَّد، واضِح، مُعَيِّن

jednoznačnýkonečnýjasný

klarbestemt

endgültig spruchreif bestimmt eindeutig

οριστικός

definitivo definido

ehdoton

définitif déterminé évident défini

definitivan

ákveîinn, skÿr

preciso

明確な

명확한

žymimasis artikelis

noteiktsskaidrs

določenzanesljiv

bestämd

แน่นอน

kesinkat'i

rõ ràng

明确的确切的

definite

[ˈdefɪnɪt] ADJ

1. (= fixed) [time, offer, plan] → definitivo; [decision, agreement] → final
I don't have any definite plans → no tengo ningún plan definitivo
are you ready to make a definite order? → ¿puede mandarnos ya un pedido en firme?
it is definite that he will retire → ya es seguro or definitivo que se jubilará
14 September is definite for the trip → el 14 de septiembre es la fecha definitiva para el viaje
nothing definite → nada definitivo
I don't intend to go, and that's definite → no pienso ir, y no voy a cambiar de idea
is that definite? → ¿es seguro?

2. (= clear) [improvement, advantage] → indudable; [feeling, impression] → inequívoco; [increase] → claro
he had a definite advantage → tuvo una ventaja indudable
it's a definite possibility → es una posibilidad clara
there is a definite possibility that we will get the contract → está claro que existe la posibilidad de que consigamos el contrato, es muy posible que consigamos el contrato

3. (= sure)
are you definite about that? → ¿estás seguro de eso?
to know sth for definite → saber algo con seguridad
I don't know or can't say for definite yet → no lo sé seguro todavía, no puedo asegurarlo todavía

4. (= emphatic) [manner, tone] → firme, terminante; [views, opinions] → firme
he was very definite about it → lo dijo de forma categórica
he was very definite about wanting to resign → dijo categóricamente que quería dimitir

5. (Ling) definite article → artículo m definido
past definite (tense) → (tiempo m) pretérito m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

definite

[ˈdɛfɪnɪt] adj

(= firm) [plan, answer] → défini(e), précis(e); [view] → arrêté(e)
I haven't got any definite plans → Je n'ai pas de projets précis.

(= real) [improvement, advantage] → net(te), manifeste; [proof, evidence, information] → avéré(e)
It's a definite improvement → Cela constitue une nette amélioration.

(= sure) → sûr(e)
Perhaps we'll go to Spain, but it's not definite → Nous irons peut-être en Espagne, mais ce n'est pas sûr.
Is that definite? → Est-ce que c'est sûr?
to be definite about sth → être certain(e) de qch
He was definite about it → Il en était certain.definite article n (GRAMMAR) → article m défini

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

definite

adj

(= fixed, concrete, explicit) → definitiv; answer, decision → klar, eindeutig; agreement, date, plan, intention, wish → fest, definitiv; command, request → bestimmt; is that definite? → ist das sicher?; (= agreed by contract etc also) → steht das fest?; there has been an improvement, that’s definite → es ist eindeutig eine Verbesserung eingetreten; for definite (say, know) → mit Bestimmtheit

(= distinct, pronounced) mark, stain, lisp → deutlich; advantage, improvement → klar, eindeutig; problem, possibility → echt

(= positive, decided) tone, manner → bestimmt; she was very definite about it → sie war sich (dat) → sehr sicher

(Gram) → definitiv

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

definite

[ˈdɛfɪnɪt] adj

a. (exact, clear, date, plan, intention) → preciso/a; (answer, agreement) → definitivo/a; (positive, decided, sale, order) → sicuro/a; (tone, manner) → deciso/a
is it definite that ...? → è sicuro che...?
he was definite about it (certain) → ne era sicuro (unequivocal) → è stato chiaro al proposito

b. (clearly noticeable) → netto/a

c. (Gram) past definite tense → passato remoto

definite

(ˈdefinit) adjective

clear; fixed or certain. I'll give you a definite answer later.

ˈdefinitely adverb

clearly or certainly. She definitely said I wasn't to wait; Her dress is definitely not red.

definite article the name given to the word the

definite

→ مُحَدَّد jednoznačný klar bestimmt οριστικός definitivo ehdoton définitif definitivan preciso 明確な 명확한 definitief avgrenset określony definido определенный bestämd แน่นอน kesin rõ ràng 确切的

References in classic literature ?

I have been conscious all the way along through this pilgrimage of its inevitable vagueness of direction, of my need of something definite, some place, some name, anything at all, however slight, which I might associate, if only for a time, with the object of my quest, a definite something to seek, a definite goal for my feet.

View in context

In the little German watering-place to which the Shtcherbatskys had betaken themselves, as in all places indeed where people are gathered together, the usual process, as it were, of the crystallization of society went on, assigning to each member of that society a definite and unalterable place.

View in context

We often feel that something in our sensible environment is familiar, without having any definite recollection of previous occasions on which we have seen it.

View in context

But from certain passages (suppressed here because mixed up with irrelevant matter) it appears clearly that at the time of the meeting in the cafe, Mills had already gathered, in various quarters, a definite view of the eager youth who had been introduced to him in that ultra-legitimist salon.

View in context

In any work of literature there should be definite structure.

View in context

At any rate, he had been on the very verge of proposing to Claire when the interruption had occurred, and in bed that night, reviewing the affair, he had been appalled at the narrowness of his escape from taking a definite step.

View in context

Comedy had already taken definite shape when comic poets, distinctively so called, are heard of.

View in context

I have written this without any definite aim in my mind, but solely to assure you of my welfare.

View in context

With no very definite intent he rose and went to it.

View in context

There is little definite material for an answer to this question, but the probability is that there were at least three contributory causes.

View in context

I have begged her to excuse my immediate compliance with her request, and to favor me with a call to-morrow morning, when I shall be prepared to meet her with a definite answer.

View in context

Moreau's explanation stood before my mind, clear and definite, from the moment of my awakening.