define about

USAGE SUMMARY

"define about" is not correct or usable in written English.
It is grammatically incorrect and does not make sense on its own. Instead, you can say "define" or "give a definition of" to introduce a term or concept. Here is an example of how you could use it in a sentence: "Can you please define the concept of sustainability for me?".

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The objective for me is to find a language that tells the reader something hard to define about the texture of each character's consciousness.

The Guardian - Books

Of the fifty "fancy words" on this year's list, I can comfortably define about two-thirds, making me once again thankful for the G.R.E.

The New Yorker

The new discovery allowed the team not only to define about a third of all bacterial phyla but, thanks to the nearly complete genomes, to characterize their lifestyles.

University of California, Berkeley

This means that, properly measured, an indicator of physician 'drain' based strictly on country of training would define about a quarter of Sub-Saharan Africa to have lost zero physicians to emigration.

Human Resources for Health

Using this method, we screened 27,000 mutagenized haploid genomes and isolated 43 suppressors of eat-5 (abbreviated sef, for Suppressor of Eat- Five), which define about a dozen complementation groups.

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Nick Clegg is not easy to draw because you'd be hard pushed to think of anything physically defining about him.

The Guardian - Arts

Glycolysis, the breakdown of sugar, was originally defined about 1930 as the metabolism of sugar into lactate.

Britannica

"What is defining about Sunny is that she chose her profession," says Bhatt, "there is no tragedy in her past.

The New York Times

With temperature tolerance bands of ±2 °C defined about the nominal temperatures, more than 72.5% of the microchannel length was located within the desired temperature bands.

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical

Conversely, internal external axial rotation is defined about the "floating" axis which does not have anatomical definition but can be geometrically deduced from the two others.

Chirurgie de la Main

A sector is defined about the transmitting node with a radius defined by the theoretical transmission distance with each sector having a degree spread [23].

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "define about" in formal writing. Instead, use "define" followed by the term or concept you are defining. For example, "Define sustainability" is grammatically correct.

Common error

A common mistake is to add "about" after "define", which is grammatically redundant. Always use "define" directly followed by the term you're clarifying. For instance, instead of writing, "Define about the term", write "Define the term".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "define about" is grammatically incorrect. The correct usage is to use the verb "define" directly followed by the term or concept being clarified. Ludwig AI confirms this by indicating that the phrase is "not correct or usable in written English."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Academia

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Encyclopedias

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Social Media

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "define about" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. As Ludwig AI states, it is "not correct or usable in written English". The correct way to use "define" is to follow it directly with the term or concept being explained. Instead of saying "define about X", say "define X", "provide a definition of X", or "explain the meaning of X". Using these alternatives will ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

provide a definition of

Replaces "define about" with a more standard phrase that clearly indicates the act of defining something.

explain the meaning of

Offers an alternative way to ask for clarification, focusing on understanding the meaning rather than a formal definition.

define in relation to

Uses "in relation to" instead of "about" to specify the context within which something is defined.

clarify the definition of

Focuses on making an existing definition clearer, rather than providing a new one.

set out the definition of

Implies a formal and structured explanation of a definition.

define regarding

Replaces "about" with "regarding" to indicate the subject being defined, but might still sound awkward.

define concerning

Substitutes "about" with "concerning", offering a slightly more formal tone while maintaining the topic of definition.

describe in terms of

Shifts the focus to describing characteristics or features related to the definition.

elucidate the concept of

Replaces 'define' with 'elucidate' suggesting a more in-depth clarification of a concept.

give an account of

Suggests providing a detailed explanation or description, which encompasses more than just a definition.

FAQs

How to properly use "define" in a sentence?

Use "define" directly followed by the term you want to clarify. For example, "Define the term 'epistemology'". Avoid adding unnecessary prepositions like "about" or "of" after "define".

What can I say instead of "define about"?

Instead of "define about", use phrases like "provide a definition of", "explain the meaning of", or simply "define". For example, you could say "Provide a definition of democracy" or just "Define democracy".

Which is correct, "define X" or "define about X"?

"Define X" is the correct and standard way to phrase it. Adding "about" after "define" is grammatically incorrect. Always use "define" followed directly by the term or concept.

What's the difference between "define" and "describe"?

"Define" provides a precise and concise explanation of a term's meaning. "Describe", on the other hand, offers a more detailed account, including characteristics, features, or qualities of something.