he define that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "he define that" is not correct in English.
It should be "he defines that." You can use the corrected phrase when discussing someone's action of providing a definition or explanation of something. Example: "In his presentation, he defines that concept clearly for the audience."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

How would he define that?

The Guardian

How does he define that particular alphabetical shift?

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In his "Apologia"(1864), he defined that liberalism as the "anti-dogmatic principle".

The New York Times

Asked by an inquiry lawyer how he would define that, Mr. McMullan said that the public interest is what the public is interested in.

The New York Times

Of course it was a sign of worse to come and partly because he helped define that worse thing by publicly criticizing it.

The New York Times - Magazine

I wish he'd define that term.

Huffington Post

He did not define that time frame, insisting that his weekend focus would be on his CBS job, and that for the remaining five days each week he would be a husband and a father.

The New York Times

Although he subsequently declined to define that amount.

The New York Times

So I wanted to create a series that could start to help define that," he says.

Vice

Asked to define that style, he hesitated, then said, "I guess what bothers me least is if you say that I follow hip-hop fashion".

The New York Times

He defined that less as a time period (ABC's "Lost" plays at 9) than a form: the experimental, breakthrough network show, like "Hill Street Blues," "St.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to someone's definition, ensure the verb 'define' is correctly conjugated. Use 'he defines' for the present tense and 'he defined' for the past tense.

Common error

Avoid using the base form 'define' without the proper conjugation. Always use 'he defines' in the present tense to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he define that" functions incorrectly as it lacks proper verb conjugation. In English grammar, the third-person singular (he, she, it) requires the verb to end in '-s' in the present tense. According to Ludwig, the correct form is 'he defines that'.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "he define that" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "he defines that". This correction ensures proper verb conjugation in the third-person singular present tense. As Ludwig AI points out, the error impacts its suitability for formal contexts. While the intent is to convey someone's definition or explanation, using alternatives like "he explains that" or "he describes that as" may be more effective depending on the situation. Remember to always conjugate the verb 'define' correctly to maintain clarity and grammatical accuracy. Although used in News & Media and Science contexts, correcting the grammar increases clarity and elevates professionalism. In this regard, keep in mind Ludwig's analysis and suggested corrections to improve the overall quality of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he defines that as

Specifies what "that" is being defined as.

he defines that to be

Emphasizes the resulting state or quality of the definition.

how does he define that

Adds 'how does' to make it a question about his definition.

how would he define that

Uses 'how would' to inquire about a hypothetical definition.

his definition of that is

Changes the structure to focus on his definition as a noun.

he explains that

Replaces 'define' with 'explains', focusing on clarification rather than strict definition.

he describes that as

Uses 'describes' to indicate a broader, less formal explanation.

he clarifies that

Focuses on making something clearer or less confusing, instead of defining.

he interprets that as

Indicates a subjective understanding or interpretation.

he characterizes that as

Suggests that something is described with particular qualities or characteristics.

FAQs

How to use "he define that" correctly in a sentence?

The correct form is "he defines that". For example, you can say, "He defines that as a critical component of the system".

What is a more formal way to say "he define that"?

A more formal way to phrase it is "he defines that as", or "his definition of that is". For example, "His definition of that concept is rooted in classical economics".

Which is correct, "he define that" or "he defines that"?

"He defines that" is correct. The verb 'define' requires the third-person singular 's' when used with 'he', 'she', or 'it'.

What can I say instead of "he define that"?

You can use alternatives like "he explains that", "he describes that as", or "he interprets that as", depending on the context.