the

  • determiner 1 denoting one or more people or things already mentioned or assumed to be common knowledge; the definite article. 2 used to refer to a person, place, or thing that is unique. 3 used to point forward to a following qualifying or defining clause or phrase. 4 used to make a generalized reference rather than identifying a particular instance. 5 enough of. 6 (pronounced stressing ‘the’) used to indicate that someone or something is the best known or most important of that name or type. 7 used with comparatives to indicate how one amount or degree of something varies in relation to another.

  — ORIGIN Old English.

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