the

I. definite article Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thē, masculine demonstrative pronoun & definite article, alteration (influenced by oblique cases — as thæs, genitive — & neuter, thæt) of sē; akin to Greek ho, masculine demonstrative pronoun & definite article — more at that Date: before 12th century 1. a. — used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has been previously specified by context or by circumstance <

put the cat out

> b. — used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is a unique or a particular member of its class <

the President

> <

the Lord

> c. — used as a function word before nouns that designate natural phenomena or points of the compass <

the night is cold

> d. — used as a function word before a noun denoting time to indicate reference to what is present or immediate or is under consideration <

in the future

> e. — used as a function word before names of some parts of the body or of the clothing as an equivalent of a possessive adjective <

how's the arm today

> f. — used as a function word before the name of a branch of human endeavor or proficiency <

the law

> g. — used as a function word in prepositional phrases to indicate that the noun in the phrase serves as a basis for computation <

sold by the dozen

> h. — used as a function word before a proper name (as of a ship or a well-known building) <

the Mayflower

> i. — used as a function word before a proper name to indicate the distinctive characteristics of a person or thing <

the John Doe that we know wouldn't lie

> j. — used as a function word before the plural form of a surname to indicate all the members of a family <

the Johnsons

> k. — used as a functon word before the plural form of a numeral that is a multiple of ten to denote a particular decade of a century or of a person's life <

life in the twenties

> l. — used as a function word before the name of a commodity or any familiar appurtenance of daily life to indicate reference to the individual thing, part, or supply thought of as at hand <

talked on the telephone

> m. — used as a function word to designate one of a class as the best, most typical, best known, or most worth singling out <

this is the life

> <

the pill

> — sometimes used before a personal name to denote the most prominent bearer of that name 2. a. (1) — used as a function word with a noun modified by an adjective or by an attributive noun to limit the application of the modified noun to that specified by the adjective or by the attributive noun <

the right answer

> <

Peter the Great

> (2) — used as a function word before an absolute adjective or an ordinal number <

nothing but the best

> <

due on the first

> b. (1) — used as a function word before a noun to limit its application to that specified by a succeeding element in the sentence <

the poet Wordsworth

> <

the days of our youth

> <

didn't have the time to write

> (2) — used as a function word after a person's name to indicate a characteristic trait or notorious activity specified by the succeeding noun <

Jack the Ripper

> 3. a. — used as a function word before a singular noun to indicate that the noun is to be understood generically <

the dog is a domestic animal

> b. — used as a function word before a singular substantivized adjective to indicate an abstract idea <

an essay on the sublime

> 4. — used as a function word before a noun or a substantivized adjective to indicate reference to a group as a whole <

the elite

> II. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thȳ by that, instrumental of thæt that Date: before 12th century 1. than before ; than otherwise — used before a comparative <

none the wiser for attending

> 2. a. to what extent <

the sooner the better

> b. to that extent <

the sooner the better

> 3. beyond all others <

likes this the best

> III. preposition Etymology: 1the Date: 15th century per 2 <

a dollar the dozen

>