Definitive - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fin·i·tive

Audio Help [di-fin-i-tiv] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	most reliable or complete, as of a text, author, criticism, study, or the like: the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson.

2.	serving to define, fix, or specify definitely: to clarify with a definitive statement.

3.	having its fixed and final form; providing a solution or final answer; satisfying all criteria: the definitive treatment for an infection; a definitive answer to a dilemma.

4.	Biology. fully developed or formed; complete.

–noun

5.	a defining or limiting word, as an article, a demonstrative, or the like.

6.	Philately. a stamp that is a regular issue and is usually on sale for an extended period of time. Compare commemorative (def. 2).

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < OF < L défīnītīvus, equiv. to défīnīt(us) (see definite) + -īvus -ive

]

—Related forms

de·fin·i·tive·ly, adverb

de·fin·i·tive·ness, noun

—Synonyms 3. complete, absolute, ultimate, supreme.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Definitive

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fin·i·tive Audio Help (dĭ-fĭn'ĭ-tĭv) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Precisely defined or explicit.
Supplying or being a final settlement or decision; conclusive. See Synonyms at decisive.
Authoritative and complete: a definitive biography. See Usage Note at definite.
Biology Fully formed or developed, as an organ or structure.

n. Grammar
A word that defines or limits, such as the definite article or a demonstrative pronoun.

de·fin'i·tive·ly adv., de·fin'i·tive·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

definitive
adjective
1.	clearly defined or formulated; "the plain and unequivocal language of the laws"- R.B.Taney
2.	of recognized authority or excellence; "the definitive work on Greece"; "classical methods of navigation" [syn: authoritative]
3.	supplying or being a final or conclusive settlement; "a definitive verdict"; "a determinate answer to the problem"

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: de·fin·i·tive
Pronunciation: di-'fin-&t-iv
Function: adjective
: fully differentiated or developed definitive organ>

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Definitive

Def"i*nite\, a. [L. definitis, p. p. of definire: cf. F. d['e]fini. See Define.]

1. Having certain or distinct; determinate in extent or greatness; limited; fixed; as, definite dimensions; a definite measure; a definite period or interval.

Elements combine in definite proportions. --Whewell.

2. Having certain limits in signification; determinate; certain; precise; fixed; exact; clear; as, a definite word, term, or expression.

3. Determined; resolved. [Obs.] --Shak.

4. Serving to define or restrict; limiting; determining; as, the definite article.

Definite article (Gram.), the article the, which is used to designate a particular person or thing, or a particular class of persons or things; -- also called a definitive. See Definitive, n. -

Definite inflorescence. (Bot.) See Determinate inflorescence, under Determinate.

Law of definite proportions (Chem.), the essential law of chemical combination that every definite compound always contains the same elements in the same proportions by weight; and, if two or more elements form more than one compound with each other, the relative proportions of each are fixed. Compare Law of multiple proportions, under Multiple.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Definitive

De*fin"i*tive\, a. [L. definitivus: cf. F. d['e]finitif.]

1. Determinate; positive; final; conclusive; unconditional; express.

A strict and definitive truth. --Sir T. Browne.

Some definitive . . . scheme of reconciliation. --Prescott.

2. Limiting; determining; as, a definitive word.

3. Determined; resolved. [Obs.] --Shak.

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