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adjective

defining

serving to identify the essential nature or character of something

In a sentence

Six example sentences with defining, each labelled with its topic.

  • Thick black outlines are the defining feature of his paintings, recognizable across a gallery before you read the label.

    Art

  • Smoked paprika is the defining ingredient of the stew, and without it the dish tastes like any other bean soup.

    Cooking

  • Harsh midday shadows became the defining trait of her street photographs, the thing editors asked for by name.

    Photography

  • The defining play of his career was a blocked shot in the final, not any of the thousands of points.

    Basketball

  • The defining sound of the record is a cheap drum machine the producer bought from a pawn shop for twenty dollars.

    Music

  • Exposed concrete is the defining feature of the library, left rough so the marks of the wooden forms still show.

    Architecture

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Found in these word lists

Found in 2 published word listsAuthoritative

Each source is a published word list that contains defining. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.

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