How to Use definitive in a Sentence

definitive

adjective
  • The court has issued a definitive ruling.
  • We need a definitive answer to this question.
  • But one of her friends gave a firm and definitive no.
    — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
  • What’s worse, there was no definitive end in sight.
    — Michal Lev-Ram, Cnbc Contributor, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
  • But right now, no definitive process.
    — CBS News, 16 May 2026
  • But a definitive cause of the crash wasn’t revealed.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2026
  • The film is set in a not-so-distant future where death is no longer definitive.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 June 2026
  • What was missing, we were told, was definitive proof.
    — Dave Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • Waller's definitive loss to Penta might be the end of their feud for now.
    — Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
  • But this is not a fully definitive list.
    — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The growing protests show this year will be the definitive moment for change.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026
  • But whether finds such as these are definitive proof that large meat-eaters lived in groups is still debated.
    — Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2023
  • The answer is a definitive – heck no.
    — Jay Woods, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Of course, this isn’t definitive.
    — Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Like there's no definitive proof.
    — Lauren A. White, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Of course, no public chart is definitive.
    — Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The polling offers clues about this but not definitive answers.
    — Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • But rarely has there been such a definitive sign of the difference between past and present.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The study was fairly small, so these findings aren’t definitive.
    — Ashleigh E. Smith, CNN, 16 Apr. 2023
  • Sayani also says to be cautious of any labels that make definitive claims.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2025
  • In the last two years, Cigna made a definitive shift in its mix of businesses.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Further study of the rocks in an advanced lab on Earth might prove more definitive.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
  • All of the tax issues passed with definitive support.
    — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
  • But none of the detections were definitive — and none were of rocky planets.
    — Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2023
  • The list is far from definitive, so please leave your suggestions in the comments.
    — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
  • But the report did not make any definitive conclusion on the cause.
    — Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2023
  • Stallard said there was no definitive answer on that.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Below, a definitive guide to what should stay far (very far) away from your garbage disposal.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
  • There is no definitive answer as to how long spin mop heads last as every mop head is different.
    — Jenna Clark, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Be on the lookout for any guarantees or promises that are definitive and seem too good to be true.
    — Dan Simms, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'definitive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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