Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Definitive |
DefinitiveAdjective1. Clearly defined or formulated; "the plain and unequivocal language of the laws"- R.B.Taney. 2. Of recognized authority or excellence; "the definitive work on Greece"; "classical methods of navigation". 3. Supplying or being a final or conclusive settlement; "a definitive verdict"; "a determinate answer to the problem". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "definitive" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1380. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Public Administration | Definitives are stamps that stay on sale for a long period-British ones bear the monarch's head. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Episode list:
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A definitive postage stamp is a regular issue stamp that is part of a definitive issue or definitive series consisting of a range of denominations sufficient to cover all postal rates usefully. (An "issue" generally means a set that is put on sale all at the same time, while a "series" is spread out over several years, but the terms are not precise.)The term came into general use after World War I, to differentiate the new countries' regular stamps from the provisional issues that had been in use in many places. Previously such stamps were simply referred to as "general" or "regular" issues, or simply not identified as such, but the issuance of commemorative stamps and "special issues" that had begun in the 1890s had left to a confused situation where countries were issuing large numbers of stamps that saw little actual use.
The range of values varies by era and country, but the focus is on coverage; the values should be sufficient to make up all possible charges using as few stamps as possible. Generally the smallest value will be the smallest unit of currency, or smallest fractional postal rate; for instance, the 1954 Liberty issue of the United States included a 1/2-cent stamp because some rates were expressed in fractions of a cent per ounce. The highest value of the series is generally quite large, typically from 50-100 times the normal letter rate.
The in-between values are usually chosen to "make change" efficiently, for instance 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 in a decimal currency. It is common to include all values between 1 and 10, multiples of 5 from 10 to 50, and multiples of 10 from 50 to 100. Additional "oddball" values may reflect specific common rates, and if the series lasts for a period of time, there may be a number of such unusual values.
Definitives are the workhorse stamps of a country, and as such, they tend to be small, with designs reflecting local culture and history. The definitives of poorer countries will often be very plain and cheaply printed, unlike the large and decorative commemoratives, which are almost pure profit if bought by foreign collectors and never used for postage.
Since postal administrations know that stamp collectors want to own every stamp of a definitive series, and a complete series can be quite expensive, there is always the temptation to make some extra money by issuing new definitive sets. Collectors' organizations have recommended that administrations only bring out new definitive issues no more often than every five years, and most administrations of the world follow this policy. An exception would be the death of a monarch, necessitating a new definitive series for the new ruler.
Notable definitives:
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Definitive."
Synonyms: DefinitiveSynonyms: authoritative (adj), classical (adj), determinate (adj), unequivocal (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Affirmation | Pronunciative, affirmative, soi-disant; positive; certain; express, explicit; (patent); absolute, emphatic, flat, broad, round, pointed, marked, distinct, decided, confident, trenchant, dogmatic, definitive, formal, solemn, categorical, peremptory; unretracted; predicable. |
Book | Definitive work, treatise, comprehensive treatise (dissertation). |
End | Adjective: ending; Verb: final, terminal, definitive; crowning; (completing); last, ultimate; hindermost; rear; caudal; vergent. |
Resolution | Adjective: resolved; Verb: determined; strong-willed, strong-minded; resolute; (brave); self-possessed; decided, definitive, peremptory, tranchant; unhesitating, unflinching, unshrinking; firm, iron, gritty, indomitable, game to the backbone; inexorable, relentless, not to be shaken, not to be put down; tenax propositi; inflexible; (hard); obstinate; steady; (persevering) a. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Definitive |
| English words defined with "definitive": authoritative, authority ♦ classical ♦ Decretorily, Decretory, Definite article, Definitively, Definitiveness, determinate, Diffinitive ♦ Finative ♦ material ♦ true. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "definitive": audiometric technician, AUDIOMETRIST ♦ bearer scrip ♦ Canonical Encoding Rules ♦ Emergency Treatment ♦ hearing-test technicia, housing permits ♦ Mason's Manual ♦ page-setting, permits issued, principle of equal ignorance, provisional share certificate ♦ RDB ♦ scrip certificate ♦ VT100 ♦ wavetable. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "definitive": Finative. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Definitive" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Esperanto (definitely, positively), German (definitively). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | The definitive icebreaker (Four Weddings and a Funeral; writing credit: Richard Curtis) I did write the definitive book on the Woodsboro Murders (Scream 3; writing credit: Ehren Kruger) The first definitive analysis of Lecter will be a publisher's wet dream (Red Dragon; writing credit: Ted Tally) I mean, that's pretty definitive. (Metropolitan; writing credit: Whit Stillman) | |
Movie/TV Titles | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Theater & Movies |
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Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | This is a scanning electron micrograph of a dividing cell, cultured from chinese hampster ovary tissue (cho). The light micrograph (inset) of the same mitotic cell reveals that it's in the anaphase stage when the darkly stained chromosomes move to opposite poles of the cell prior to cell cleavage. The surface of this cell, seen in the scanning electron micrograph image, is covered with small fingerlike projections called microvilli; this surface appearance is typical, but not definitive, for cultured cells in anaphase. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist. |  | Prussian blue staining for iron particles, which reveals little or no stainable iron in the bone marrow reticulum cells and normoblasts, is the definitive test for iron deficiency during Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA). Credit: CDC. |
 | Astronomers have assembled the first definitive detection of a background infrared glow across ... Credit: NASA. |  | Figure 14. W. F. Ewald's and K. Grein's photometer. Left: view of the apparatus. Right (from top to bottom): messenger container; removable photographic plates; removable filters. This instrument was designed by Wolfgang F. Ewald with the aid of Klaus Green. It was first tested off Capri and put to the definitive tests off Monaco in up to 500 meters. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
 | After analyzing hundreds of samples, ARS researchers wrote the definitive report on the composition and properties of honeys. These findings made it possible to detect the addition of other substances to honey. A side benefit was discovery of a new sugar in honey, which was named erlose, after ARS's Eastern Regional Research Laboratory. P. Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Scott Bauer.. |  | Artwork by F. Muller, circa 1919, depicting the definitive design for these ships, whose construction was cancelled under the Washington Naval Limitations Treaty of 1922. Credit: NAVY. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | In the portion of Upper Silesia submitted to a plebiscite the provisions of this Article shall only come into force as from the definitive attribution of the territory. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | Everything has its real form, or at least its definitive form |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | There is no definitive treatment for colpocephaly. (references) | |
However, the definitive treatment for AVMs is surgery. (references) | ||
Humans are the only definitive hosts for Taenia saginata. (references) | ||
Business | By 1999, six years after the implementation of Nafta, definitive imports (outside the maquiladora industry) of Baja California from the United States increased to US$1,252 million, which represents 84 percent of the state's total import market, and over 15 percent increase over pre-Nafta import total. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Venezuela | Media owners challenged the law in 1995, but there was no definitive court ruling on this matter by year's end. (references) |
France | Various courts and government bodies have considered whether denying some Muslim girls the right to wear headscarves in public schools constituted a violation of the right to practice their religion; there has been no definitive national decision on the issue. (references) | |
Economic History | Georgia | After that Tahal will make a definitive proposal on acquiring Tbilgaz. (references) |
Human Rights | India | There was no definitive resolution in the case of abducted and killed Kashmir human rights monitor Jalil Andrabi. (references) |
Turkey | Former detainees asserted that some medical examinations occur too long after an incident of torture to reveal any definitive evidence of torture. (references) | |
Italy | In January the national newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that the average wait for a definitive verdict in a criminal case increased during 2000 to 1,792 days (approximately 5 years). (references) | |
Political Economy | Brazil | It takes 8 years to reach a definitive decision in the average case, a delay that the Supreme Court president considered unjust. (references) |
BELGIUM | Belgium will gradually shift from the use of the BF to the use of the euro as its currency by January 1, 2002. On January 1, 1999, the definitive exchange rate between the euro and the BF was established at BF 40.33. (references) | |
Political Rights | Lesotho | Despite opposition coalition claims, the Langa Commission, composed of international observers from four southern African countries, reported no definitive findings of vote rigging or fraud; however, post-election management of electoral and polling station data was poor. (references) |
Trade | Uzbekistan | Second, there is no definitive answer as to what should be done with the government-guaranteed assets currently in those banks being considered for privatization. (references) |
Yemen | While a definitive list of restrictions does not exist, pork and pork products, coffee, alcohol, narcotics, a very limited list of fresh fruits and vegetables during their local production season, weapons and explosives, and rhinoceros horn are prohibited. (references) | |
Thailand | Local banks and other financial institutions are exercising more caution on new lending due to the fear of creating new non-performing loans . Lending is now much different than in the past, in that most banks are now asking for a definitive business plan from borrowers before approving loans. (references) | |
Women | Ghana | In the past, human rights NGO's estimated that the number of occupants of the witches' camp was growing; however, there are no definitive statistics on the number of women living in northern witchcamps, and international and domestic observers estimate that there are fewer than 850 women in the camps. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
James Madison | 1809-1817 | The only intervening occurrence meriting attention is the promulgation of a French decree purporting to be a definitive repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees. |
John Quincy Adams | 1825-1829 | A meeting of the commissioners has been post-poned, to await the definitive report of the board of engineers. |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | Events are frequently occurring on the North Eastern frontier of a character to impress upon all the necessity of a speedy and definitive termination of the dispute. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Definitive" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 99.67% of the time. "Definitive" is used about 597 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 99.67% | 595 | 10,710 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.33% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 597 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "definitive": definitive host ♦ definitive work. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "definitive": near-definitive. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "definitive"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | përfundimtar (closing, completive, concluding, conclusive, determinate, eventual, final, illative, net, peremptory, terminal), i përkufizuar. (various references) | |
Arabic | مستتم, نهائي (conclusive, eventual, extreme, final, firm, irrevocable, peremptory, radical, ultimate), حاسم (absolute, categorical, conclusive, critical, crucial, decided, decisive, definite, determinate, fateful, final, high, peremptory, pivotal, unqualified), تام بوضوح. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | категоричен (categorical, decided, definite, emphatic, explicit, final, flat, irresistible, outright, plump, point blank, positive, thorough, unconditional, utter), окончателен (categorical, clean, determinate, eventual, final, irrevocable, last, net, peremptory), определен (certain, concrete, definite, determinate, explicit, finite, fixed, given, positive, precise, set, settled, special, stated), напълно развит (full grown, full-fledged, mature). (various references) | |
Chinese | 明确 (Explicit, Express). (various references) | |
Czech | definitivní (final, permanent, ultimate), neodvolatelný (final, irreclaimable, irreversible, irrevocable), koneèný (conclusive, eventual, final, finite, terminal, ultimate), autoritativní (authoritative, imperative, imperious, magisterial). (various references) | |
Danish | vaertsorganisme (definitive host, final host, host), vaertsdyr (definitive host, final host), modent mRNA (definitive messenger RNA, mature messenger RNA, mature mRNA), endelig bortvisning (definitive expulsion, expulsion). (various references) | |
Dutch | definitief (definite, definitely, positively). (various references) | |
Esperanto | definitiva (definite). (various references) | |
Faeroese | endaligur (definite, final). (various references) | |
Finnish | lopullinen (final, ultimate). (various references) | |
French | définitif (definite). (various references) | |
German | endgültig (conclusive, conclusively, decisive, definite, definitely, definitively, final, finally, for good, once and for all, ultimate, utter), definitiv (definite, definitely, positively). (various references) | |
Greek | τελειωτικόσ (conclusive), οριστικόσ (definite, peremptory). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מכריע (amphibrach, arbitrator, conclusive, critical, crucial, decisive, overwhelming, pivotal), סופי (final, finite, last, terminal, ultimate). (various references) | |
Hungarian | végleges (consummative, definite, eventual, last, utter). (various references) | |
Indonesian | definitif, pasti (assuredly, certain, certainly, decisive, definite, indubitable, resolute, sure), menentukan (decide, decisive, destine, enactive). (various references) | |
Italian | definitivo (definite, eventual, final, last, ultimate). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 決定版 (definitive piece, definitiveedition, last word). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | けっていば" (definitive piece, definitiveedition, last word), けっていは" (definitive piece, definitiveedition, last word). (various references) | |
Korean | 결 (Conclusive, Crucial, Crystal, Crystallizing, Deciding, Decision, Determinant, Determining, irrevocable). (various references) | |
Manx | jarrooagh (affirmative, categorical, confirmative, positive, predicative). (various references) | |
Norwegian | definitiv, endelig (at last, eventual, final, finally). (various references) | |
Papiamen | definitivo (definite). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | efinitiveday.(various references) | |
Portuguese | definitivo (definite, determinative, ultimate). (various references) | |
Romanian | definitoriu (characteristic, defining), definitiv (clearly, conclusive, definitively, determinate, final, for good and all, indefeasible, last, peremptory, ultimate), decisiv (conclusive, critical, crucial, decisive, determinant, determinative, fateful, final, ultimate, winning). (various references) | |
Russian | окончательный (final, last, peremptory, ultimate, unappealable, used up). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | definitivan (final), zaključan (final, illative, locked, lockup), konačan (conclusive, eventual, finite, peremptory, terminal, ultimate). (various references) | |
Spanish | definitivo (completive, determinate, final, hard, outright, permanent, ultimate). (various references) | |
Swedish | slutgiltig (final, terminal). (various references) | |
Turkish | son (afterbirth, bedrock, close, conclusion, conclusive, curtains, denouement, end, ending, expiration, expiry, extremity, farewell, fate, final, finis, finish, finishing, full, full stop, issue, kiss off, last, late, latest, latter, nth, Omega, outcome, quietus, recent, result, ruination, secundine, sunset, supreme, tail end, terminal, termination, ultimate, upshot), koşulsuz (categorical, no strings attached, no-strings, unconditional, unconditioned, unqualified, unreserved), kesin (absolute, accurate, assertive, categorical, certain, cheese it, clean-cut, clear-cut, conclusive, decided, decisive, declared, definite, determined, dogmatic, downright, exact, express, extreme, final, firm, flat, frozen, implicit, indisputable, indubitable, irreversible, irrevocable, mathematical, ocular, outright, peremptory, point blank, pointed, precise, pronounced, rigid, rigorous, round, safe, scientific, specific, spot-on, Square, stark, sure, sure as death, unambiguous, uncompromising, undoubted, unquestionable, unquestioned, unquestioning, utter), belirli (certain, clear, definite, determinate, particular, precise, set, specific, stated), belgili sözcük, açık (aboveground, apparent, articulate, avowed, bare, blank, broad, candid, categorical, clean-cut, clear, clear-cut, cloudless, confessed, decided, declared, decollete, deficiency, deficient, deficient amount, deficit, definite, direct, distinct, downright, evident, expansive, explicit, exposed, express, expressly, fair, forthright, free, gaping, hospitable, in blank, light, loose, lucent, lucid, luminous, obvious, open, open air, open ended, outdoor, outright, overt, pale, patent, perspicuous, plain, point blank, precise, raw, revealing, round, serene, shadowless, shirt-sleeve, shortage, shortfall, spread, Square, straightforward, swinging, translucent, unambiguous, unashamed, unclouded, uncomplicated, unconcealed, uncovered, uncrossed, undisguised, unequivocal, unlocked, unmistakable, unobstructed, unprotected, unsealed, upfront, vacant, visible, well-marked, wide open, wishywashy). (various references) | |
Turkmen | ymykly (serious). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | характерний (characteristic, differential, distinctive, individual, racy, representative), точний (accurate, austere, business-like, careful, clean-cut, clockwork, definite, exact, explicit, mathematical, nice, perfect, pointed, positive, precise, punctual, rigorous, specific, strict, trustworthy, truthful, unerring), відмітний (differential, discriminating, discriminative, distinguishing), остаточний (decided, decisive, determinate, eventual, illative, net, unequivocal), означальний (attributive), безповоротний (irreclaimable, irreparable, irretrievable, irrevocable, nonrecoverable, non-reversible, permanent), повний (absolute, all out, big, broad, chock-a-block, complete, crass, entire, fatty, flush, full, integral, orbicular, out and out, outright, overall, overblown, perfect, plenary, profound, pudgy, pure, rotund, round, total, utter, whole). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | cuối cùng; dứt khoát. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "definitive": definitively, definitiveness, definitivenesses, definitives. (additional references) | |
| |
"Definitive" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: deffinitive, definitave, definitiv, definitize, Difenditi, difinitive, divinitive. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "definitive" (pronounced dufi"nutiv) |
| 7 | -f i" n u t i v | infinitive. |
| 5 | -n u t i v | alternative, cognitive, imaginative, punitive, unimaginative. |
| 4 | -u t i v | accusative, acquisitive, additive, affirmative, alliterative, anticompetitive, argumentative, causative, commemorative, communicative, comparative, competitive, consecutive, conservative, consultative, contemplative, cumulative, curative, decorative, degenerative, demonstrative, derivative, diminutive, dispositive, duplicative, evocative, executive, expletive, exploitative, Federative, figurative, fixative, formative, fugitive, generative, hypersensitive, illustrative, imperative, indicative, informative, initiative, inoperative, inquisitive, insensitive, interpretive, intuitive, laxative, lucrative, narrative, negative, neoconservative, noncompetitive, noncumulative, nonexecutive, normative, nutritive, operative, palliative, participative, pejorative, positive, prerogative, preservative, preventative, primitive, prohibitive, provocative, putative, recuperative, relative, remunerative, rep, repetitive, representative, restorative, secretive, sedative, sensitive, speculative, superlative, talkative, tentative, ultraconservative, uncompetitive, uncooperative, uninformative, unrepresentative, vituperative. |
| 3 | -t i v | accommodative, abortive, accumulative, active, adaptive, addictive, adjective, administrative, adoptive, affective, appointive, appreciative, assaultive, assertive, attentive, attractive, authoritative, automotive, captive, collaborative, collective, combative, conductive, congestive, connective, constructive, contraceptive, cooperative, corrective, corruptive, counterproductive, creative, deceptive, defective, deliberative, descriptive, destructive, detective, digestive, dilutive, directive, disincentive, disparages, disruptive, dissipative, distinctive, distributive, effective, elective, elucidative, eruptive, exhaustive, exploitive, facultative, festive, furtive, hyperactive, imitative, inactive, inattentive, incentive, ineffective, infective, injunctive, innovative, instinctive, instructive, interactive, introspective, invective, inventive, investigative, irrespective, iterative, legislative, locomotive, manipulative, meditative, motive, native, nonautomotive, nonnative, nonproductive, objective, obstructive, octave, overactive, perceptive, perspective, photoconductive, plaintive, predictive, preemptive, presumptive, preventive, proactive, probative, productive, prognosticative, projective, prospective, protective, qualitative, quantitative, radioactive, reactive, receptive, reconstructive, redemptive, redistributive, reflective, refractive, regulative, rehabilitative, reproductive, respective, restive, restrictive, retroactive, retrospective, seductive, selective, stimulative, subjective, substantive, suggestive, superconductive, supportive, unattractive, unproductive, unreceptive, vegetative, vindictive. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "d-e-e-f-i-i-i-n-t-v" | |
-2 letters: definite, vinified. | |
-3 letters: evident, feinted, invited, invitee. | |
-4 letters: define, devein, divine, endite, endive, envied, evited, finite, indite, invite, tineid, veined, vented. | |
-5 letters: diene, event, evite, feint, feted, fetid, fiend, fined, indie, ivied, nieve, nitid, teiid, teind, tined, vined. | |
| Words containing the letters "d-e-e-f-i-i-i-n-t-v" | |
+1 letter: definitives. | |
+2 letters: definitively. | |
+4 letters: definitiveness, overidentified, overidentifies. | |
+5 letters: overidentifying. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Quotations: Historic 8. Quotations: Fiction | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Quotations: Speeches 11. Usage Frequency 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Derivations 16. Rhymes | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
