definite
/ˈdɛfɪnɪt/adjective, noun
definite is spelled D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E. The wrong spelling people search most is definate: about 200 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 2 in 10 of all searches for the word. Definite is an adjective meaning “Having distinct limits”.
How many letters and syllables are in definite?
| Letters | 8: D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.0 times per million words; the 9,878th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 1; the most searched, definate, about 200 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell definite?
Definite is spelled D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E. One wrong spelling is searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 2 in 10 of the searches for definite in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is definite?
Definite appears 6.0 times per million words in written English, the 9,878th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce definite?
- UK /ˈdɛfɪnɪt/
- US /ˈdɛfɪnɪt/
- US /ˈdɛfənɪt/
Definite has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-definite.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of definite
- more definite comparative
- most definite superlative
- definites plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does definite mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having distinct limits.
definite dimensions; a definite measure; a definite period or interval
- 2
Free from any doubt.
definite knowledge
- 3
Determined; resolved; decided.
- 4
Designating an identified or immediately identifiable person or thing, or group of persons or things
the definite article
noun
- 1
A word or phrase that designates a specified or identified person or entity.
- 2
obsoleteAnything that is defined or determined.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Definite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | défini |
| German | bestimmt, absolut , eindeutig , determiniert |
| Spanish | definido , indudable |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does definite come from?
From Latin dēfīnītus, past participle of dēfīniō, whence also English define.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).