by definition
idiom
: because of what something or someone is : according to the definition of a word that is being used to describe someone or something
A volunteer by definition is not paid.
A glider is by definition an aircraft with no engine.
Examples of by definition in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But what was baffling was that by definition, Leclerc, surely, should’ve been handed a penalty.
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Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Books about books, or bookstores, or people who work in bookstores, or in publishing, or in libraries, or anything book-adjacent, are not in short supply, perhaps for the obvious reason that writers are by definition people who are drawn to, and often write about, books.
—Susan Coll
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
This is especially true for those eligible for low-income plans or Lifeline subsidy, which by definition are not available in a bulk billing arrangement.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Frying, by definition, involves cooking food in oil.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by definition
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Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Books about books, or bookstores, or people who work in bookstores, or in publishing, or in libraries, or anything book-adjacent, are not in short supply, perhaps for the obvious reason that writers are by definition people who are drawn to, and often write about, books.
—Susan Coll
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
This is especially true for those eligible for low-income plans or Lifeline subsidy, which by definition are not available in a bulk billing arrangement.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Frying, by definition, involves cooking food in oil.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by definition
Cite this Entry
“By definition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20definition. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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