English
definition
Definition comes from Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin dēfīnītiō, from dēfīniō ‘to bound, define’, from fīniō ‘to limit’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīnis
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīniō‘set a limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēfīniō‘to bound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēfīnītiō‘definition’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600definition
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500diffinicioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1925definition
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīnis
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīniō‘set a limit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēfīniō‘to bound’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēfīnītiō‘definition’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600definition
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500diffinicioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1925definition
Earliest quotation: 1925, Thomas R. Marshall, Recollections of Thomas R. Marshall: “DEFINITIONS mean nothing unless the concept in the mind…”
Formed from define + -ition
Latin dēfīniō ‘limit, settle, define’
Old French definer ‘to finish’
Middle English definen
English define
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to stick, set up’
fix, dig, ditch, dyke, dike, crucify, 19 more
through Latin *fignis
finale, infinitesimal, 10 more
through Latin fīnis
final, finish, infinite, fin, infinity, finesse, financier, confine, affine, fino, finis, finial, 13 more
through Latin fīniō ‘set a limit, bound, end’
Today it means
noun A statement of the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol; especially, a dictionary definition.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin fīnis / definition