defining
adj. B2 Upper Intermediate US //dɪˈfaɪnɪŋ// UK //dɪfˈaɪnɪŋ// defin·ing
adj. describing a quality or moment that shows exactly what something is like. You use this to talk about a feature that makes someone or something different from everything else.
adj. providing a clear description or identification of the essential nature of something. Often used to describe a characteristic or event that establishes a person's or era's unique identity.
The chef has a very defining style of cooking.
Winning the championship was the defining moment of her professional career.
The use of light and shadow became the defining characteristic of his later paintings, distinguishing his work from that of his contemporaries.
Usage
Typically functions as an attributive adjective placed before the noun it modifies.