Define in Different Languages
Discover 'Define' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'define' holds a significant place in our vocabulary as it allows us to set boundaries, clarify meanings, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, from literature and philosophy to science and mathematics. Understanding the term 'define' in different languages can open up new avenues of communication and cultural exchange.
For instance, in Spanish, 'define' is 'definir', while in French, it is 'définir'. In German, the word translates to 'definieren', and in Mandarin Chinese, it is '定义' (dìngyì). These translations not only help us grasp the meaning of the word in various languages but also offer insights into the unique linguistic and cultural contexts of different countries.
Delving into the translations of 'define' can be an exciting journey that broadens our horizons and deepens our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture. Keep reading to explore more translations of this essential word.
Define
Define in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | definieer | ||
| The Afrikaans word 'definieer' comes from the Dutch word 'definiëren', which itself comes from the Latin word 'definire'. | |||
| Amharic | ይግለጹ | ||
| The word "ይግለጹ" can also mean "to explain" or "to clarify". | |||
| Hausa | ayyana | ||
| The word "ayyana" in Hausa can also mean "to name" or "to call by name." | |||
| Igbo | kọwaa | ||
| In the Igbo language, the word "kọwaa" can also mean "to explain" or "to describe". | |||
| Malagasy | hamaritra | ||
| The Malagasy term "hamaritra" comes from the Arabic word "hadara", meaning both "to define" and "to limit". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | fotokozani | ||
| The word "fotokozani" is derived from the root word "fotokoza", meaning "to mark" or "to indicate". | |||
| Shona | tsanangura | ||
| The word "tsanangura" in Shona can also mean "to explain" or "to clarify". | |||
| Somali | qeex | ||
| The word qeex in Somali means "to define", but it also has connotations of "to explain" or "to clarify". | |||
| Sesotho | hlalosa | ||
| The alternate meaning of "hlalosa" in Sesotho is to "determine". | |||
| Swahili | kufafanua | ||
| In Swahili, 'kufafanua' is a derivative of 'fafanua,' meaning both 'to explain' and 'to become clear,' as in the dawning of a new day. | |||
| Xhosa | chaza | ||
| The noun chaza, a variant of faza, is the root of the verb chaza "to define". | |||
| Yoruba | setumo | ||
| In some Yoruba dialects, such as Ijesha, "setumo" also means "to solve" or "to resolve". | |||
| Zulu | chaza | ||
| In Zulu, 'chaza' stems from the Proto-Nguni verb '-chaza,' meaning 'to show, indicate, or point out'. | |||
| Bambara | dànsìgi | ||
| Ewe | ɖe egɔme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | sobanura | ||
| Lingala | kolimbola | ||
| Luganda | okunnyonyola | ||
| Sepedi | hlaloša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyerɛ mu | ||
Define in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حدد | ||
| The word "حدد" is derived from the root "حد", which means "limit" or "boundary" in Arabic, reflecting its role in defining the precise meaning or extent of something. | |||
| Hebrew | לְהַגדִיר | ||
| The root of the verb 'לְהַגדִיר' (to define) is 'גדר' (fence), referring to the act of setting boundaries and establishing parameters. | |||
| Pashto | تعریف | ||
| The Pashto word "تعریف" can also mean "praise" or "compliment." | |||
| Arabic | حدد | ||
| The word "حدد" is derived from the root "حد", which means "limit" or "boundary" in Arabic, reflecting its role in defining the precise meaning or extent of something. | |||
Define in Western European Languages
| Albanian | përcaktoj | ||
| The Albanian word "përcaktoj" comes from the Latin word "per+dico" meaning "to speak out, make known, proclaim." | |||
| Basque | definitu | ||
| The word "definitu" in Basque comes from the Latin "definire", meaning "to determine or establish". | |||
| Catalan | definir | ||
| The word "definir" in Catalan can also mean "to delimit" or "to describe accurately". | |||
| Croatian | definirati | ||
| "Definirati" (define) has an alternate meaning of "to end" or "to finish". | |||
| Danish | definere | ||
| The Danish word "Definere" originates from the Latin word "Definire", meaning "to limit" or "to mark out". | |||
| Dutch | bepalen | ||
| The word "bepalen" can also mean to "limit" or "restrict". | |||
| English | define | ||
| 'Define' derives from Latin 'definire: mark the boundary of, establish the limits of, limit', related to 'finis: end, limit'. Also, 'define' is used as a verb with the meaning of 'give the exact meaning of a word or phrase'. | |||
| French | définir | ||
| The verb 'définir' ultimately derives from the Latin 'definire', but also has the modern meaning of 'to sharpen' and the older meaning 'to finish'. | |||
| Frisian | definiearje | ||
| The Frisian word 'definiearje' comes from the Latin word 'definitio', meaning 'boundary' or 'limit'. | |||
| Galician | definir | ||
| In Galician, "definir" can also mean to outline or to sketch out, as in "Definimos as liñas básicas do proxecto" (We outlined the basic lines of the project). | |||
| German | definieren | ||
| The German word "definieren" comes from Latin and has a broader meaning than just establishing a meaning for a word. | |||
| Icelandic | skilgreina | ||
| The word "skilgreina" in Icelandic ultimately derives from the Old Norse word "skilja," meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish." | |||
| Irish | sainmhínigh | ||
| The term 'sainmhínigh' ('define') comes from the Old Irish word 'sánn' ( 'truth'), implying the establishment of a true or fixed meaning. | |||
| Italian | definire | ||
| In Italian, "definire" can also mean "to describe in detail" as if marking boundaries. | |||
| Luxembourgish | definéieren | ||
| Maltese | tiddefinixxi | ||
| "Tiddefinixxi" has no alternate meaning, it is a verb | |||
| Norwegian | definere | ||
| The word "definere" in Norwegian has a more narrow meaning than the English "define" as it only relates to the establishment of boundaries or limits. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | definir | ||
| In Portuguese "definir" means both "define" and "wither, waste away or grow thinner." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mìneachadh | ||
| Also used in the context of a dictionary definition, or a "statement of a thing's essence". | |||
| Spanish | definir | ||
| In Spanish, "definir" not only means "to define", but also "to finish" or "to limit something." | |||
| Swedish | definiera | ||
| The word "definiera" is derived from Latin word "definīre" (to end, to limit), and its original meaning in Swedish was "to set a boundary". | |||
| Welsh | diffinio | ||
| The word 'diffinio' in Welsh can also be used to refer to the process of setting the limits or boundaries of a concept, property or quantity. | |||
Define in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | вызначыць | ||
| The word "вызначыць" in Belarusian can also mean "to determine," "to identify," or "to specify." | |||
| Bosnian | definirati | ||
| The word "definirati" in Bosnian also means "to determine" or "to establish". | |||
| Bulgarian | дефинирайте | ||
| The word "дефинирайте" can also mean "to determine the limits or boundaries of something" or "to give a precise description of something." | |||
| Czech | definovat | ||
| The Czech word "definovat" can also mean to "set the boundaries of" or "to demarcate." | |||
| Estonian | määratlema | ||
| The verb "määratlema" can also mean "determine" or "specify" | |||
| Finnish | määritellä | ||
| "Määritellä" is cognate with "measure" and the Uralic word "märkä" "wet". The primary meaning of "märkä" is "to wet", but its derivative "määrätä" can mean both "to define" and "to measure". | |||
| Hungarian | meghatározza | ||
| "Meghatározza" also means "determines," and originally meant "draws around" or "limits." | |||
| Latvian | definēt | ||
| Definēt also means "to fix," "to determine," or "to establish" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | apibrėžti | ||
| "Aibrėžti" means both "to define" and "to draw a circle". Both meanings share the concept of establishing a boundary. | |||
| Macedonian | дефинирај | ||
| The Macedonian word "Дефинирај" ultimately derives from the Latin word "finis" or "definis" (limit). | |||
| Polish | definiować | ||
| The word "definiować" comes from the Latin verb "definire", meaning "to mark the boundaries of something". | |||
| Romanian | defini | ||
| The word "defini" (define) in Romanian comes from the Latin verb "definire" (to mark out, to set bounds), which in turn is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*dhei-" (to put, to place). | |||
| Russian | определить | ||
| "Определить" is derived from the Old Slavic word "opredelitj", meaning "to establish", and also means "to determine", "to identify", "to decide", "to ascertain", and "to fix". | |||
| Serbian | дефинисати | ||
| The word 'дефинисати' also means 'to set limits' or 'to determine'. | |||
| Slovak | definovať | ||
| The word "definovať" in Slovak is often used in a formal or legal context, such as in defining a term in a contract. | |||
| Slovenian | opredeliti | ||
| Opredeliti is a verb that means to determine or fix the limits or scope of something, and can also refer to the act of making something known or clear. | |||
| Ukrainian | визначити | ||
| The word "визначити" can also mean to determine, identify, or specify. | |||
Define in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | সংজ্ঞায়িত করা | ||
| The word "সংজ্ঞায়িত করা" in Bengali can also mean "to specify" or "to determine". | |||
| Gujarati | વ્યાખ્યાયિત કરો | ||
| Hindi | परिभाषित | ||
| परिभाषित is derived from "परि" (around) and "भाष" (to speak), meaning to "speak or describe completely or accurately." | |||
| Kannada | ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನಿಸಿ | ||
| Malayalam | നിർവചിക്കുക | ||
| Marathi | परिभाषित | ||
| The word "परिभाषित" in Marathi also means "to describe" or "to give an account of". | |||
| Nepali | परिभाषित | ||
| परिभाषित derives from the Sanskrit word 'paribhas', which means 'to explain' or 'to make clear'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪ੍ਰਭਾਸ਼ਿਤ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිර්වචනය කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | வரையறு | ||
| The word 'வரையறு' also means 'to limit' or 'to set boundaries'. | |||
| Telugu | నిర్వచించండి | ||
| Urdu | کی وضاحت | ||
Define in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 定义 | ||
| 这个词在现代汉语中表示“下（对事物）的定义或解释”，最初则表示“规定”之意。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 定義 | ||
| In Chinese, the word "定義" can also mean "to set a date" or "to establish a regulation". | |||
| Japanese | 定義する | ||
| "定義する" means "define" but also has the meaning of "to give a name to something". | |||
| Korean | 밝히다 | ||
| The word | |||
| Mongolian | тодорхойлох | ||
| The word "тодорхойлох" comes from Mongolian "тодорхой" (definite) + "-лох" (make). It can also mean determine, identify, specify. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သတ်မှတ် | ||
Define in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menetapkan | ||
| The Indonesian verb 'menetapkan' is derived from Malay and also has meanings such as 'establish' or 'settle'. | |||
| Javanese | netepake | ||
| The root word 'tepak' (to guess) and 'ne-' (to make it happen) suggest a sense of 'making it known' or 'setting' something. | |||
| Khmer | កំណត់ | ||
| The word "កំណត់" in Khmer can also mean "to establish", "to delimit", or "to fix". | |||
| Lao | ນິຍາມ | ||
| The word “ນິຍາມ” in Lao is a cognate of a Pali or Sanskrit word, which also means “law” or “rule”. | |||
| Malay | tentukan | ||
| The word "tentukan" derives from the verb "tuntut", meaning "to claim" or "to pursue". | |||
| Thai | กำหนด | ||
| กำหนด can mean to "specify" as something that is done in advance. | |||
| Vietnamese | định nghĩa | ||
| "Định nghĩa" is also used as a noun meaning "definition" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tukuyin | ||
Define in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müəyyənləşdirmək | ||
| The word "müəyyənləşdirmək" originally meant "to determine" or "to specify" but now also means "to define". | |||
| Kazakh | анықтау | ||
| In some contexts, “анықтау” also means “identification” or “determination.” | |||
| Kyrgyz | аныктоо | ||
| "Аныктоо" also means "to make clear", "to clarify", or "to explain in detail". | |||
| Tajik | муайян кунед | ||
| The word "муайян кунед" is derived from the Arabic word "waḍaḥa" which also means to elucidate, to clarify or to determine. | |||
| Turkmen | kesgitlemek | ||
| Uzbek | aniqlang | ||
| Aniq in Uzbek means precise and lang is a suffix used in verbs and makes a question form of the verb, so aniqlang means to make precise. | |||
| Uyghur | ئېنىقلىما | ||
Define in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ho'ākāka | ||
| "Ho'ākāka" in Hawaiian is cognate with the Marquesan "hokaaka" and Proto-Polynesian "*hokahoka", meaning "to make warm or hot". | |||
| Maori | whakamarama | ||
| The original meaning of "whakamarama" is "make manifest" or "make clear". | |||
| Samoan | faʻamatala | ||
| The word "faʻamatala" in Samoan can also mean "to explain", "to illustrate", or "to describe". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tukuyin | ||
| The noun "tukuy" (meaning "to determine" or "to fix") is the root word for the verb "tukuyin," which means "to define" in Tagalog. | |||
Define in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jaysaña | ||
| Guarani | teko rechauka | ||
Define in International Languages
| Esperanto | difini | ||
| "Difini" derives from the same root as Latin "finis" (boundary, limit), and its alternate meanings include "delimit" and "finish". | |||
| Latin | definire | ||
| The Latin word "definire" originally meant "to mark out limits" or "to determine boundaries". | |||
Define in Others Languages
| Greek | καθορίζω | ||
| The word "καθορίζω" can also mean "limit", "fix", or "determine" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | txhais tau | ||
| The term "txhais tau" can also refer to a ritual performed in Hmong culture to identify a person's destiny or path in life. | |||
| Kurdish | binavkirin | ||
| The word "binavkirin" can also mean "to identify" or "to clarify" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | tanımlamak | ||
| While Tanımlamak is commonly used to mean define in Turkish, it can also mean 'to mark' or 'to indicate'. | |||
| Xhosa | chaza | ||
| The noun chaza, a variant of faza, is the root of the verb chaza "to define". | |||
| Yiddish | דעפינירן | ||
| The Yiddish word "דעפינירן" (define) is directly borrowed from French, which in turn is borrowed from Late Latin "definīre" (limit, mark out), from Latin "finis" (end, boundary). | |||
| Zulu | chaza | ||
| In Zulu, 'chaza' stems from the Proto-Nguni verb '-chaza,' meaning 'to show, indicate, or point out'. | |||
| Assamese | সংজ্ঞায়িত কৰা | ||
| Aymara | jaysaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | परिभाषित करीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ބަޔާންކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | परिभाशा देओ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tukuyin | ||
| Guarani | teko rechauka | ||
| Ilocano | ilawlawag | ||
| Krio | wetin i min | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێناسەکردن | ||
| Maithili | परिभाषित केनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯥꯛꯎ | ||
| Mizo | hrilhfiah | ||
| Oromo | hiikuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପରିଭାଷିତ କରନ୍ତୁ | ||
| Quechua | niriy | ||
| Sanskrit | परिभाच्छसि | ||
| Tatar | билгеләү | ||
| Tigrinya | ገለጸ | ||
| Tsonga | hlamusela | ||