Idioms

define

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define (something) as (something)

To describe, designate, or label something as something. Oh, Molly's not coming to the parade because she defines these kind of events as chaotic and overwhelming. Dad won't go with you—he defines musicals as universally boring. He even fell asleep last year at The Music Man! Why would I go to a political rally with you? I define those kinds of things as three-ring circuses without the big top.
See also: define

defining moment

1. A point in time at which some essential trait or aspect of someone's or something's character or nature is made apparent. Having to confront my boss was a defining moment for me—it was when I realized that I was so much stronger and more capable than I had been trained to believe. This will prove to be a defining moment in the political party's identity. Either they uphold their core ideologies, or they embrace the more extreme views that have been gaining mainstream popularity. If you do well on this tough assignment, it could be your defining moment in the newsroom.
2. A point in time at which the future of someone or something is defined or decided. The release of their incredibly popular MyPhone was a defining moment for the company, turning them almost overnight into a major corporate juggernaut. I had always gotten good grades in school, but receiving the special award for my research project became a defining moment in my academic career. Not getting into Harvard was something of a defining moment for me. I went to Yale instead and that's where I met my now-husband.
See also: define, moment
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

define something as something

to label something as being something. I define that kind of behavior as just plain rude! We have to define that comment as careless and unthinking.
See also: define
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive
The stiffness developed by these materials is analogous to the spring constant used to define the response of springs.
A lesson learned is that architecture design is required to define how to configure the DIB to meet operational requirements.
As such, many statutes define a caretaker as "an individual or institution who has the responsibility for the care of an adult as a result of family relationship, or who has assumed the responsibility for the care of the adult person voluntarily, or by contract, or agreement." (5)
Because health clinics may not be completely representative of the salvage population, one way to define the salvage population is to utilize databases from Virologic or other diagnostics companies.
SMI-S defines profiles for both physical and logical entities.
Additional studies are needed to define the underlying biological mechanisms in order to personalize clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
As long as we believe that senior execs should define how we view utility, corporate communication is doing great!
Jones and Stallybrass challenge us to see that it was a central tool in the evolution of "self-fashioning" during an era of commercial expansion that put pressure on English men and women to define and redefine themselves as individuals.
Users can add, delete, edit, reposition, or constrain parts of the assembly without tediously rebuilding all the mating interfaces that define how the parts come together.
The authors define the core by a set of related products, customers and technologies that can build the greatest competitive advantage and add the greatest value to the organization.
While it is a key responsibility of the CIO to ensure that technology and the associated recordkeeping systems to support it are in place, it is within the purview of the RIM staff to define the records management strategy needed to enhance customer service.
For instance, we at JS define the Middle East (see map above) as all countries from Egypt to Iran, including Turkey in the north and the entire Arabian Peninsula to the south.
These conditions may differ significantly from those that define the measurand; in particular it may include a range of influence quantities or specify a particular set of conditions that differ from those that define the measurand.
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