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definitive

 [dih-fin-i-tiv]   Example Sentences Origin

de·fin·i·tive

   [dih-fin-i-tiv]
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).

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Definitive is always a great word to know.
So is structure. Does it mean:
the species of a genus that is regarded as the best example of the generic characters of the genus, from which a genus was originally named
mode of organization; construction and arrangement of tissues, parts, or organs
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Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Old French < Latin dēfīnītīvus, equivalent to dēfīnīt(us) (see definite) + -īvus -ive

Related forms
de·fin·i·tive·ly, adverb
de·fin·i·tive·ness, noun
non·de·fin·i·tive, adjective
non·de·fin·i·tive·ly, adverb
non·de·fin·i·tive·ness, noun
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un·de·fin·i·tive, adjective
un·de·fin·i·tive·ly, adverb
un·de·fin·i·tive·ness, noun
COLLAPSE

Can be confused: definite, definitive.

Synonyms
3. complete, absolute, ultimate, supreme.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To definitive
Example Sentences
  • In the first meeting between the two parties' leaders since the war, they pledged to work towards a definitive end to hostilities.
  • We couldn't offer the young man any definitive information about his mother.
  • While not definitive, it is also not just blind conjecture.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
definitive (dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv)
 
—adj
1.  serving to decide or settle finally; conclusive
2.  most reliable, complete, or authoritative: the definitive reading of a text
3.  serving to define or outline
4.  zoology fully developed; complete: the definitive form of a parasite
5.  a.  (of postage stamps) permanently on sale
 b.  (as noun) a definitive postage stamp
 
—n
6.  grammar a word indicating specificity of reference, such as the definite article or a demonstrative adjective or pronoun
 
de'finitively
 
—adv
 
de'finitiveness
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

definitive
late 14c., from O.Fr. definitif (12c.), from L. definitivus, from pp. stem of definire (see define). Related: Definitively (1520s).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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