Definitive

How to spell definitive

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce definitive

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does definitive mean?

1. adjectiveSettling a matter conclusively and finally, with no room for doubt or further argument.

Definitive in a sentence

• The committee still has no definitive answer about the budget.

• This biography is widely regarded as the definitive account of her life.

Where does definitive come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin definire, meaning 'to set a boundary' or 'to limit precisely', which was built from the prefix de-, here adding the sense of 'completely', and finire, 'to bring to an end', from finis, the Latin noun for an 'end' or 'boundary'. The related Latin adjective definitivus meant 'explanatory' or 'serving to settle a matter conclusively'. English took the word in during the late 1300s by way of Old French definitif, first using it in legal contexts for a final, settled judgement. The same finis root that means 'end' sits openly inside the modern words 'finish', 'final', and 'define', which is a useful reminder that a definitive answer is one that ends all further argument. The single f and the -ite spelling come straight from finire, so picturing 'define' inside it helps fix the letters.

How the word is built

• de- (completely)
• fin (from finis: end, boundary)
• -itive (adjective suffix)