how defined

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "how defined" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing the clarity or precision of a concept or term. Example: "The parameters of the project were not clearly defined, leaving us to question how defined our goals were." Alternative expressions include "how clear," "how precise," and "how specific."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academic

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

No matter how defined, however, swing voters remain the most coveted, and most influential, demographic in American politics.

The New York Times

The four-year-olds did the things that four-year-olds do – whispered secrets, threw tantrums, picked their noses – and it was surprising to note how defined their personalties already were.

Independent

We generated a variety of actin templates and measured how defined actin structures respond to myosin-induced forces.

Current Biology

The scenario of increasing land scarcity on upland was simulated to explore how defined processes will respond to the rising pressure exerted on the wetland.

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

How the HMM is best used is dependent on how defined the task is, availability of training data, and computational considerations.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

Because no matter how much weight you lose or how defined you get, people will always have their opinions.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Here's how: Define the problem (what is it exactly?).

WikiHow

"It all depends on how Russia defines strength, how it defines security.

The New York Times

"Its about how you define a prisoner; how you define a person; how you define a non-person.

Vice

I asked how he defined torture.

The New Yorker

That's not how he defined himself.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In scientific writing, utilize this phrase to explore the relationship between experimental variables and their specified boundaries.

Common error

Avoid using "how defined" when you actually mean to ask about finality or conclusiveness. Use "how definitive" when discussing whether a result is final or certain.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how defined" functions primarily as an interrogative or relative clause component. It often serves as the object of a preposition (like 'on' or 'of') or as a subject complement. According to Ludwig, it is used to measure the extent or the manner in which a term, boundary, or concept has been specified.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

30%

Academic

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "how defined" is a robust and grammatically correct phrase frequently employed in formal and scientific writing. According to Ludwig AI, it is particularly effective when discussing the boundaries or specifications of a concept, such as in the phrase 'it depends on "how defined" the task is'. It is highly prevalent in authoritative sources like The New York Times and various scientific journals, where it serves to introduce nuance into definitions. While interchangeable with phrases like "how clearly defined", the simple form "how defined" remains a concise choice for exploring the precision of terms across various professional registers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how clearly defined

Adds an adverb to emphasize the degree of clarity.

how well-defined

Uses a compound adjective form to focus on the quality of the definition.

to what extent defined

More formal phrasing focusing on the degree or scope.

how precisely specified

Replaces defined with specified for technical or engineering contexts.

how strictly outlined

Focuses on the boundaries and rigidness of a definition.

how the definition is set

Changes the structure to a more active description of the process.

how delineated

Uses more academic vocabulary to describe the marking of boundaries.

how identified

Broadens the meaning to include the act of recognition.

how designated

Refers to the official naming or assignment of a status.

the degree of definition

Uses a noun phrase to describe the concept abstractly.

FAQs

How to use "how defined" in a sentence?

You can use it to introduce a clause about specification, such as: "The results depend on "how clearly defined" the variables are."

What is the difference between "how defined" and "how well-defined"?

While "how defined" is neutral, "how well-defined" specifically evaluates the quality and sharpness of the boundaries or description.

What can I say instead of "how defined"?

Depending on the context, you might use "how delineated" for boundaries or "how precisely specified" for technical requirements.

Which is correct: "how defined" or "how is it defined"?

Both are correct but serve different grammatical functions. Use "how defined" in dependent clauses (e.g., "It depends on "how defined" it is"), whereas "how is it defined" is a direct question.