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overdefine. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
overdefine, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
overdefine in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
overdefine you have here. The definition of the word
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overdefine, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From over- + define.
Verb
overdefine (third-person singular simple present overdefines, present participle overdefining, simple past and past participle overdefined)
- (transitive) To define too rigidly, or in too much depth.
2001, Charles Reid, Painting Flowers in Watercolor with Charles Reid:Most students want to overdefine every flower and leaf. In the assignment above, I spoke of “the essence of flowers.” If you overdefine and explain every petal, you will lose the sense of softness and mystery.
2011, Walter N. King, Hamlet's Search for Meaning, page 133:The adolescent search for a new and a reliable identity can perhaps best be seen in the persistent endeavor to define, to overdefine, and to redefine oneself and each other in often ruthless comparison