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The definition, (used, especially before a noun, with a specifying or particularizing effect, as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of the ... TopDefinitionsQuizRelatedContentExamplesBritishthe1[stressedthee;unstressedbeforeaconsonantthuh;unstressedbeforeavowelthee]SHOWIPA/stressedði;unstressedbeforeaconsonantðə;unstressedbeforeavowelði/PHONETICRESPELLINGNewWordListWordListSaveThisWord!SeesynonymsfortheonThesaurus.comdefinitearticle(used,especiallybeforeanoun,withaspecifyingorparticularizingeffect,asopposedtotheindefiniteorgeneralizingforceoftheindefinitearticleaoran):thebookyougaveme;Comeintothehouse.(usedtomarkapropernoun,naturalphenomenon,ship,building,time,pointofthecompass,branchofendeavor,orfieldofstudyassomethingwell-knownorunique):thesun;theAlps;theQueenElizabeth;thepast;theWest.(usedwithoraspartofatitle):theDukeofWellington;theReverendJohnSmith.(usedtomarkanounasindicatingthebest-known,mostapproved,mostimportant,mostsatisfying,etc.):theskiingcenteroftheU.S.;Ifyou'regoingtoworkhard,nowisthetime.(usedtomarkanounasbeingusedgenerically):Thedogisaquadruped.(usedinplaceofapossessivepronoun,tonoteapartofthebodyorapersonalbelonging):Hewon'tbeabletoplayfootballuntilthelegmends.(usedbeforeadjectivesthatareusedsubstantively,tonoteanindividual,aclassornumberofindividuals,oranabstractidea):tovisitthesick;fromthesublimetotheridiculous.(usedbeforeamodifyingadjectivetospecifyorlimititsmodifyingeffect):Hetookthewrongroadanddrovemilesoutofhisway.(usedtoindicateoneparticulardecadeofalifetimeorofacentury):thesixties;theGayNineties.(oneofmanyofaclassortype,asofamanufactureditem,asopposedtoanindividualone):Didyoulistentotheradiolastnight?enough:Hesaveduntilhehadthemoneyforanewcar.Shedidn'thavethecouragetoleave.(useddistributively,tonoteanyoneseparately)for,to,orineach;aoran:atonedollarthepound.SEEMORESEELESSQUIZSHALLWEPLAYA"SHALL"VS."SHOULD"CHALLENGE?Shouldyoutakethisquizon“shall”versus“should”?Itshouldprovetobeaquickchallenge!Question1of6Whichformisusedtostateanobligationordutysomeonehas?shallshouldTAKETHEQUIZTOFINDOUTOriginofthe1Firstrecordedbefore900;MiddleEnglish,OldEnglish,uninflectedstemofthedemonstrativepronoun;seeoriginatthathowtopronouncetheAsshownabove,thepronunciationofthedefinitearticlethechanges,primarilydependingonwhetherthefollowingsoundisaconsonantoravowel.Beforeaconsonantsoundthepronunciationis[thuh]:/ðə/:thebook,themountain[thuh-book,thuh-moun-tn]./ðəbɒɒk,ðəˈmaʊntn/.Beforeavowelsounditisusually[thee],/ði/,sometimes[thi]:/ðɪ/:theapple,theend[theeorthi-ap-uhl,theeorthi-end]./ðiorðɪˈæpəl,ðiorðɪɛnd/.Asanemphaticform(“Ididn'tsayabook—Isaidthebook.”)oracitationform(“Thewordtheisadefinitearticle.”),theusualpronunciationis[thee],/ði/,althoughinbothoftheseusesofthestressedform,[thee]/ði/isoftenreplacedby[thuh],/ðʌ/,especiallyamongyoungerspeakers.WordsnearbytheThaxter,Thayer,Th.B.,THC,Th.D.,the,Thea,theaceous,AdmirableCrichton,The,AgeofInnocence,The,Alchemist,TheOtherdefinitionsforthe(2of3)the2[beforeaconsonantthuh;beforeavowelthee]SHOWIPA/beforeaconsonantðə;beforeavowelði/PHONETICRESPELLINGadverb(usedtomodifyanadjectiveoradverbinthecomparativedegreeandtosignify“inorbythat,”“onthataccount,”“inorbysomuch,”or“insomeoranydegree”):He'sbeenonvacationandlooksthebetterforit.(usedincorrelativeconstructionstomodifyanadjectiveoradverbinthecomparativedegree,inoneinstancewithrelativeforceandintheotherwithdemonstrativeforce,andsignifying“byhowmuch…bysomuch”or“inwhatdegree…inthatdegree”):themorethemerrier;Thebiggertheyare,thehardertheyfall.Originofthe2Firstrecordedbefore900;MiddleEnglish;OldEnglishthē,thȳ,instrumentalcaseofdemonstrativepronoun;seeoriginatthat,lestOtherdefinitionsforthe(3of3)the-variantoftheo-beforeavowel:thearchy.Dictionary.comUnabridged BasedontheRandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary,©RandomHouse,Inc.2022WordsrelatedtotheeveryHowtousetheinasentenceFrance24isprovidinglive,round-the-clockcoverageofbothscenesastheyprogress.LIVECoverageoftheParisTerrorAttacks||January9,2015|DAILYBEASTSandswasinvolvedinascandalous-for-the-timeromancewiththecarpenterandtherewererumorsshewaspregnantwithhischild.NewYork’sMostTragicGhostLovesMinimalistSwedishFashion|NinaStrochlic|January8,2015|DAILYBEASTThreeon-the-recordstoriesfromafamily:amotherandherdaughterswhocamefromPhoenix.ITriedtoWarnYouAboutSleazyBillionaireJeffreyEpsteinin2003|VickyWard|January7,2015|DAILYBEASTTheDallasCowboyssellouttheirstate-of-theartfootballstadium.WillTexasStayTexan?|DavidFontana|December29,2014|DAILYBEASTTheDailyBeastspoketoajubilantLeagueonTuesdayaboutthebehind-the-scenesbattletogetTheInterviewtomovietheaters.TheInsideStoryofHowSony’s‘TheInterview’FinallyMadeIttoTheaters|MarlowStern|December23,2014|DAILYBEASTSleekfindsitfarharderworkthanfortune-making;buthepursueshisWill-o'-the-Wispwithuntiringenergy.ThePitTownCoronet,VolumeI(of3)|CharlesJamesWillsYouneverknowwhenyouaregoingtostumbleuponajewelinthemostout-of-the-waycorner.Music-StudyinGermany|AmyFayMr.Slocumwasnoteducatedinauniversity,andhislifehasbeeninby-paths,andout-of-the-wayplaces.TheBookofAnecdotesandBudgetofFun;|VariousIdrewbackfromtherimofWriting-On-the-Stone,thatsetofwhisperedphrasesechoinginmyears.RawGold|BertrandW.SinclairBesidesthedistrictsmentioned,tobaccoisgrownlargelyinthatofFrankfort-on-theOder.Tobacco;ItsHistory,Varieties,Culture,ManufactureandCommerce|E.R.Billings.SEEMOREEXAMPLESSEEFEWEREXAMPLESBritishDictionarydefinitionsforthe(1of3)the1/(stressedoremphaticðiː,unstressedbeforeaconsonantðə,unstressedbeforeavowelðɪ)/determiner(article)usedprecedinganounthathasbeenpreviouslyspecifiedthepainshoulddisappearsoon;themanthenopenedthedoorComparea1usedwithaqualifyingwordorphrasetoindicateaparticularperson,object,etc,asdistinctfromothersaskthemanstandingoutside;givemetheblueoneComparea1usedprecedingcertainnounsassociatedwithone'sculture,society,orcommunitytogotothedoctor;listentothenews;watchthetelevisionusedprecedingpresentparticiplesandadjectiveswhentheyfunctionasnounsthesingingisawful;thedeadsaluteyouusedprecedingtitlesandcertainuniquelyspecificorpropernouns,suchasplacenamestheUnitedStates;theHonourableEdwardBrown;theChairman;themoonusedprecedingaqualifyingadjectiveornounincertainnamesortitlesWilliamtheConqueror;EdwardtheFirstusedprecedinganountomakeitrefertoitsclassgenericallythewhitesealishuntedforitsfur;thisisgoodforthethroat;toplaythepianousedinsteadofmy,your,her,etc,withpartsofthebodytakemebythehand(usuallystressed)thebest,only,ormostremarkableHarry'sistheclubinthistownusedwithpropernounswhenqualifiedwrittenbytheyoungHardyanotherwordforper,espwithnounsornounphrasesofcostfiftypencethepoundoftenfacetious,orderogatorymy;ourthewifegoesoutonThursdaysusedprecedingaunitoftimeinphrasesortitlesindicatinganoutstandingperson,event,etcmatchoftheday;playeroftheyearSEEMORESEELESSWordOriginfortheMiddleEnglish,fromOldEnglishthē,ademonstrativeadjectivethatlatersupersededsē(masculinesingular)andsēo,sio(femininesingular);relatedtoOldFrisianthi,thiu,OldHighGermander,diuBritishDictionarydefinitionsforthe(2of3)the2/(ðə,ðɪ)/adverb(oftenfollbyfor)usedbeforecomparativeadjectivesoradverbsforemphasisshelooksthehappierforhertripusedcorrelativelybeforeeachoftwocomparativeadjectivesoradverbstoindicateequalitythesooneryoucome,thebetter;themoreIseeyou,themoreIloveyouWordOriginfortheOldEnglishthī,thӯ,instrumentalcaseofthe1andthat;relatedtoOldNorsethī,GothictheiBritishDictionarydefinitionsforthe(3of3)the-combiningformavariantoftheo-CollinsEnglishDictionary-Complete&Unabridged2012DigitalEdition ©WilliamCollinsSons&Co.Ltd.1979,1986©HarperCollins Publishers1998,2000,2003,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012WORDOFTHEDAYprevaricateverb(usedwithoutobject)|[pri-var-i-keyt]SEEDEFINITIONFEEDBACK