Dictionary

by definition en · ADP

Meanings

1. According to, or as a matter of, definition.
   • This property holds for all polygons; and since, by definition, all triangles are polygons, it holds for all triangles.
2. Necessarily; always; certainly.
   • Two minutes later, the Aston Villa man delivered. It was hardly the sweetest strike, but nobody cared. It wasn't particularly pretty, not that it mattered. It only found its way into the Haiti net by way of a double deflection but that was completely irrelevant. It was a Scottish goal in their first World Cup in a generation. By definition, it was a thing of absolute beauty. The winner. Scotland's total of victories at the finals rises from four to five. These things are rare. 2026 June 14, Tom English, “Why Haiti v Scotland was antidote to the ills of world football”, in BBC Sport:
   • Almost by definition, a conversation requires both parties to accept each other's viewpoints to some extent.

Synonyms

deep down · essentially · inexorably (necessarily) · basically (as a matter of definition) · unavoidably (necessarily) · inevitably (necessarily)

Translations (7)

fr par définition (Translations) · fi määritelmällisesti (Translations) · la per definitionem (Translations) · nl per definitie (Translations) · pl z definicji (Translations) · de per definitionem (Translations) · pl z założenia (Translations)