had been defined

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been defined" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the past perfect tense to indicate that something was defined at some point before another past event. Example: "The term 'sustainability' had been defined in various ways before the conference took place."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

They had been defined from the very beginning".

The New York Times - Sports

This was how the new form of warfare, "total war", had been defined before 1939.

The Guardian

The man sitting across from me had been defined by war and conflict.

The Guardian

Keller's tenure had been defined by three crises — morale, economic, and digital.

The New Yorker

We had been defined by each other in most areas of our professional life.

The Guardian - Music

The game was 20 seconds old and already the night had been defined for the Knicks.

The New York Times - Sports

"The one thing that I had been defined by was taken away," he recalls.

The Guardian

For several people at the pickup location, Monday's marathon had been defined, as marathons are, by timing, and close calls.

The New Yorker

It had been Madrid, unusually, who had been defined by pressure and possession while Barcelona turned to the counterattack.

The Guardian - Sport

At a stroke she had been defined in a way not of her own choosing, pigeonholed as posh totty.

The Guardian - Books

God had particular explanations and instructions for the president, whose entire term of office had been defined by war.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been defined" to clearly indicate that a definition was established at some point in the past before another event or time.

Common error

Avoid using "had been defined" when referring to a current or future definition. Use "is defined" or "will be defined" instead, depending on the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been defined" functions as a past perfect passive construction. It indicates that the action of defining was completed before another point in the past. As Ludwig AI confirms, this construction is grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

29%

News & Media

27%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been defined" is a grammatically correct and frequently used past perfect passive construction, confirmed by Ludwig AI. It is commonly employed in news, scientific, and general contexts to indicate that something was defined prior to a specific point in the past. While suitable for both formal and informal settings, it's crucial to use the correct tense and avoid ambiguity. Alternatives such as "had been established", "had been determined", or "had been specified" can be used depending on the nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had been characterized

Focuses on describing the qualities or features that distinguish something, rather than its formal definition.

had been established

Emphasizes the setting up or creation of something, especially a system or organization, before a particular time.

had been determined

Highlights the act of finding out or deciding something conclusively at an earlier point.

had been specified

Focuses on stating something explicitly and in detail beforehand.

had been delineated

Implies marking the boundaries or limits of something previously.

had been clarified

Stresses the action of making something clearer or easier to understand prior to a certain moment.

had been laid down

Suggests that rules or principles were formally established at an earlier time.

had been set out

Highlights the act of presenting or arranging something in a clear and organized way beforehand.

had been formalized

Indicates that something was given a definite structure or shape previously.

had been understood

Emphasizes the recognition and comprehension of something before a certain point.

FAQs

How can I use "had been defined" in a sentence?

Use "had been defined" to indicate that a term, concept, or entity was defined at some point before a specific past event or time. For example, "The scope of the project "had been defined" before the budget was allocated."

What's the difference between "was defined" and "had been defined"?

"Was defined" typically refers to a single event of defining something in the past. "Had been defined" indicates that the definition occurred before another past event. For instance, "The law "was defined" in 1990" versus "The law "had been defined" before the amendment was proposed."

Are there alternatives to using "had been defined"?

Yes, depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "had been established", "had been determined", or "had been specified" to convey similar meanings.

Is "had been defined" formal or informal language?

"Had been defined" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure than the phrase itself.