The Definition & Meaning

American

British

Pronunciation

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms the 1 American [thee, thuh, thee] / ði, ðə, ði /

definite article

1. (used, especially before a noun, with a specifying or particularizing effect, as opposed to the indefinite or generalizing force of the indefinite article a oran ).

   the book you gave me; Come into the house.

2. (used to mark a proper noun, natural phenomenon, ship, building, time, point of the compass, branch of endeavor, or field of study as something well-known or unique).

   the sun; the Alps; the Queen Elizabeth; the past; the West.

3. (used with or as part of a title).

   the Duke of Wellington; the Reverend John Smith.

4. (used to mark a noun as indicating the best-known, most approved, most important, most satisfying, etc.).

   the skiing center of the U.S.; If you're going to work hard, now is the time.

5. (used to mark a noun as being used generically).

   The dog is a quadruped.

6. (used in place of a possessive pronoun, to note a part of the body or a personal belonging).

   He won't be able to play football until the leg mends.

7. (used before adjectives that are used substantively, to note an individual, a class or number of individuals, or an abstract idea).

   to visit the sick; from the sublime to the ridiculous.

8. (used before a modifying adjective to specify or limit its modifying effect).

   He took the wrong road and drove miles out of his way.

9. (used to indicate one particular decade of a lifetime or of a century).

   the sixties; the Gay Nineties.

10. (one of many of a class or type, as of a manufactured item, as opposed to an individual one).

    Did you listen to the radio last night?

11. enough.

    He saved until he had the money for a new car.

    She didn't have the courage to leave.

12. (used distributively, to note any one separately) for, to, or in each; a or an.

    at one dollar the pound.

the 2 American [thuh, thee] / ðə, ði /

adverb

1. (used to modify an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree and to signify “in or by that,” “on that account,” “in or by so much,” or “in some or any degree”).

   He's been on vacation and looks the better for it.

2. (used in correlative constructions to modify an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree, in one instance with relative force and in the other with demonstrative force, and signifying “by how much … by so much” or “in what degree … in that degree”).

   the more the merrier; The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

the- 3 American

1. variant of theo- before a vowel.

   thearchy.

the 1 British / ðiː, ðə, ðɪ /

determiner

1. used preceding a noun that has been previously specified Compare a 1

   the pain should disappear soon

   the man then opened the door

2. used with a qualifying word or phrase to indicate a particular person, object, etc, as distinct from others Compare a 1

   ask the man standing outside

   give me the blue one

3. used preceding certain nouns associated with one's culture, society, or community

   to go to the doctor

   listen to the news

   watch the television

4. used preceding present participles and adjectives when they function as nouns

   the singing is awful

   the dead salute you

5. used preceding titles and certain uniquely specific or proper nouns, such as place names

   the United States

   the Honourable Edward Brown

   the Chairman

   the moon

6. used preceding a qualifying adjective or noun in certain names or titles

   William the Conqueror

   Edward the First

7. used preceding a noun to make it refer to its class generically

   the white seal is hunted for its fur

   this is good for the throat

   to play the piano

8. used instead of my, your, her, etc, with parts of the body

   take me by the hand

9. (usually stressed) the best, only, or most remarkable

   Harry's is the club in this town

10. used with proper nouns when qualified

    written by the young Hardy

11. another word for per, esp with nouns or noun phrases of cost

    fifty pence the pound

12. facetious my; our

    the wife goes out on Thursdays

13. used preceding a unit of time in phrases or titles indicating an outstanding person, event, etc

    match of the day

    player of the year

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 the 2 British / ðɪ, ðə /

adverb

1. (often foll by for) used before comparative adjectives or adverbs for emphasis

   she looks the happier for her trip

2. used correlatively before each of two comparative adjectives or adverbs to indicate equality

   the sooner you come, the better

   the more I see you, the more I love you

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 the- 3 British

combining form

1. a variant of theo-

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Pronunciation

As shown above, the pronunciation of the definite article the changes, primarily depending on whether the following sound is a consonant or a vowel. Before a consonant sound the pronunciation is : the book, the mountain . Before a vowel sound it is usually , sometimes : the apple, the end . As an emphatic form (“I didn't say a book—I said the book.”) or a citation form (“The word the is a definite article.”), the usual pronunciation is , although in both of these uses of the stressed form, is often replaced by , especially among younger speakers.

Etymology

Origin of the1

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, uninflected stem of the demonstrative pronoun; that

Origin of the2

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English thē, thȳ, instrumental case of demonstrative pronoun; that, lest

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This year’s theme for the 137th Rose Parade is “The Magic in Teamwork” with Magic Johnson as grand marshal.

From Los Angeles Times

Among the low, static chatter of the everyday, a woman throws her head back and cries out.

From Salon

Winter storms sweeping across both coasts turned holiday travel into a test of patience and exposed just how brittle the system has become.

From Salon

He also thought referee Rob Jones should have shown City defender Ruben Dias a second yellow card in the second half.

From BBC

In a year in which precious metals shined, silver stole the show.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• every

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.