expressly define

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "expressly define" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that something is defined clearly and explicitly, leaving no room for ambiguity. Example: "The contract must expressly define the terms of payment to avoid any misunderstandings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

That document didn't feel the need to expressly define restrooms as including a sink within which to wash one's hands.

The New York Times

Davis and Mihet have reportedly already met with Romanian Orthodox leaders and are doing TV and radio interviews around the country to promote a constitutional amendment that would expressly define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The DreamWorks endeavor was expressly defined by Spielberg's vision.

The New York Times - Books

As Scahill and Devereaux noted, words like "reasonable," "articulable" and "rational" are not expressly defined.

Huffington Post

Upon the rise of the same-sex marriage movement in the early 1970s, Maryland established the first law in the United States that expressly defined marriage to be a union between a man and a woman.

Wikipedia

In response, the concept of global health corruption should be expressly defined, discussed, and adopted through an international legally binding framework employing partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNODC.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Kotler and Zaltman expressly defined social marketing in 1971 as "a social influence technology involving the design, implementation and control of programs aimed at increasing the acceptability of a social idea or practice in one or more groups of target adopters" [ 22].

BMC Public Health

In contrast to framing the deal publicly as a rescue mission, the Dallas Zoo's 1,094-page 1,094-pagen applimportationthe FWS stapplicationprimary justoficathen FWS the import istatesive propagathen [of African eleprimary." CITES expressly defines captive breeding programs as "commercial activity" and prohibits the import of African elephants for such purposes.

Huffington Post

AIIC came into being expressly to define and maintain the standards of proficiency, the working conditions, and the ethics of the conference interpreter.

The New Yorker

These power relations need not be expressly established and defined in law.

SEP

Moreover, restricting our analysis to tweets which have been expressly identified as political in nature allows us to define a high-fidelity corpus, avoiding the risk of introducing undue noise through the use of topic detection strategies [24, 25].

EPJ Data Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In situations where precision is critical, opting for "expressly define" can help prevent misinterpretations and disputes.

Common error

Avoid using "expressly define" in casual conversation or informal writing, as it can sound overly formal or pretentious. Simpler alternatives like "clearly define" or "explain" are often more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "expressly define" functions as a verb phrase where "expressly" modifies the verb "define", indicating that something is being defined in a clear, direct, and unambiguous manner. Ludwig AI indicates it as correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "expressly define" is a phrase used to indicate that something is being defined clearly and explicitly, leaving no room for ambiguity. According to Ludwig, it is considered correct and usable in written English. Though not very common, it finds its place in formal contexts such as legal, technical, and academic writing where precision is crucial. Alternatives include "clearly stipulate" and "explicitly specify". While grammatically sound, it should be used judiciously, avoiding overuse in informal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

expressly stipulate

Uses a synonym for define to express similar meaning.

clearly stipulate

Replaces "expressly define" with a focus on making something clear and mandatory in a formal agreement or document.

explicitly specify

Replaces "expressly define" with a focus on being highly detailed and leaving no room for interpretation.

precisely delineate

Replaces "expressly define" with a focus on marking the boundaries or limits of something with great accuracy.

specifically state

Replaces "define" with "state" to focus on the act of declaring something in particular.

distinctly articulate

Replaces "expressly define" by emphasizing the clear and effective communication of a concept.

unambiguously declare

Replaces "expressly define" with an emphasis on the lack of ambiguity in the declaration.

clearly lay out

Changes the structure to emphasize the act of presenting details in an understandable manner.

definitively establish

Shifts the focus to setting something in a final and unchangeable manner.

exactly prescribe

Replaces "expressly define" by suggesting a rule or direction is being given with precision.

FAQs

How can I use "expressly define" in a sentence?

You can use "expressly define" when you want to state something very clearly and explicitly, leaving no room for confusion. For example: "The contract must expressly define the terms of payment to avoid any misunderstandings."

What are some alternatives to "expressly define"?

You can use alternatives like "clearly stipulate", "explicitly specify", or "precisely delineate" depending on the context.

In what contexts is it most appropriate to use "expressly define"?

The phrase "expressly define" is most appropriate in formal contexts like legal documents, contracts, or technical manuals where precision and clarity are essential.

Is there a difference between "expressly define" and "clearly define"?

While both phrases emphasize clarity, "expressly define" suggests a higher degree of explicitness and formality compared to "clearly define". Choose "expressly define" when you want to highlight that something is being defined in a very specific and unambiguous way.