The phrase "a defining element in" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that plays a crucial or essential role in a particular context or situation.
Example: "Trust is a defining element in any successful relationship."
Alternatives: "a key factor in" or "an essential component of".
Mr. Finn's Jewish identity is also a defining element in his work.
The Liberal Democrats, unlike Labour, have consistently cited the Iraq war as a defining element in the election.
During the next 10 years, Mr. Alcantara's music, chiefly for synthesizer, served as a defining element in Miss Muller's sleek, fast-paced style.
She notes the misstep was especially surprising coming from Dell, which notably makes user feedback a defining element in their marketing strategy and software development.
The rivalry between the two schools of thought, known as the Methodenstreit, or "battle over methods," was a defining element in the first twenty years or so of the Austrian school's existence.
"Women index much higher than man at needing that voice, and Dell, with Della, blatantly missed that mark". She notes the misstep was especially surprising coming from Dell, which notably makes user feedback a defining element in their marketing strategy and software development.
Working in Motown's Studio A, a converted dirt-floor garage, the Funk Brothers became the defining element in the label's sound.
It is thus my contention that since 1945 opposition to war has been a growing principle that has united Europeans and could be said to be the defining element in contemporary European self-understanding.
Of great-power competition as the defining element in statecraft, he writes, "That world no longer exists".
In short, the Moscow analyst says, the issue of Russia is not the defining element in their struggle and it is critically important that "in Moscow people do not fall victim to emotions and look for signs of a Maidan where they are hard to find".
