From Middle English þe, from Old English þē m (“the, that”, demonstrative pronoun), a late variant of sē, the s- (which occurred in the masculine and feminine nominative singular only) having been replaced by the þ- from the oblique stem. replaced words, cognates Originally neutral nominative, in Middle English it superseded all previous Old English nominative forms (sē m, sēo f, þæt n, þā pl); sē is from Proto-West Germanic *siz, from Proto-Germanic *sa, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só. Cognate with Saterland Frisian die (“the”), West Frisian de (“the”), Dutch de (“the”), German Low German de (“the”), German der (“the”), Danish de (“the”), Swedish de (“the”), Icelandic sá (“that”) within Germanic and with Sanskrit स (sá, “the, that”), Ancient Greek ὁ (ho, “the”), Tocharian B se (“this”) among other Indo-European languages.
› Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun › The definite grammatical article that shows…
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...because it has already been mentioned, is to be completely specified in the same sentence, or very shortly thereafter.
I’m reading the book Mary reviewed. (Compare I’m reading a book Mary reviewed.)
You live on Main Street, don't you? You know, you should tell the mayor the street needs cleaning.
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The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird.
the street that runs all the way through my hometown
A car is parked right outside my house. Since it's difficult to find a parking space, I hope the car won't be there later. the cow jumped over the moon (1760 (date first published), Mother Goose's Melody (the book title), "Hey Diddle Diddle" (the rhyme title))
I sleep in the bedroom!2016, VOA Learning English, archived from the original on 30 Sep 2017:
› Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun › The definite grammatical article that shows… › ...because it is presumed to be definitely…
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Used before a noun designating something considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time.
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe.
God save the Queen!
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Let's go to the park!
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 1:8, column 2:
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Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar.
No one in the whole country had seen it before.
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning.
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Take me to the airport/station/hospital/office/park/match/meeting/et cetera.
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Used before a body part, a family member, a pet (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun.
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”)
(informal) How's the wife? (= "How is your wife?")
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Colloquial Precedes a familiar nickname or other term of address.
How's the Sal today?
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Used in many idiomatic expressions and proverbs to refer to common objects, roles, or situations connected with something definite, in the manner of an analogy
square the circle; feel the pinch; beat around the bush; throw the baby out with the bathwater
› Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun
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When stressed, indicates that it describes something which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention.
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery.
"Good Heavens, man! Why, he is the authority. If you want pure laboratory experiments those are the books."1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
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“New Kid On The Block” doubles as a terrific showcase for the Sea Captain who, in the grand tradition of Simpsons supporting characters, quickly goes from being a stereotype to an archetype, from being a crusty sea-captain character to the crusty sea-captain character.2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:
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When stressed, used before the name of a famous person, to distinguish said person from a hypothetical lesser-known person with the same name.
"My name," he said, "is Hercule Poirot." "Not," the Commissary stammered, "not the Hercule Poirot?"1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train:
‘[…] he introduced us to Gwenog Jones.’ ‘Gwenog Jones?’ said Ron, his eyes widening under his own goggles. ‘The Gwenog Jones? Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?’2005, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:
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Used before a noun phrase beginning with superlative or comparative adjective or an ordinal number, indicating that the noun refers to a single item.
That was the juiciest apple pie ever.
May the better man win.
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Starting today through September 30, guests can wow their taste buds with the "swiciest" sensation of the season, the Nashville-Style Hot Honey Pizza.2024 August 21, Liz Parker Kuhn, “California Pizza Kitchen, Mike's Hot Honey drop 'swicy' new pizza”, in Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery:
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Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class.
Stern and God-fearing, the Afrikaner takes his religion seriously.1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 536:
The downy woodpecker can be found in the same environments as the hairy woodpecker.
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Used with the plural of a surname to indicate the entire family.
The Bushes have held political office for several decades and the Kennedys longer.
› Used with an adjective
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Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive.
That apple pie was the best.
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Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective.
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
One doesn't choose the color of one's chess pieces; the white are assigned to the player who moves first.
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Used before a demonym ending in -ish or -ese to refer to people of a given country collectively.
the Irish are...; the Chinese are...; the French are...
Etymology From Middle English the, thy, thi, from Old English þē̆, probably a neuter instrumental form ("by that, thereby")—alongside the more common þȳ and þon—of the demonstrative pronoun sē ("that"). Compare Dutch des te ("the, the more"), German desto ("the, all the more"), Norwegian fordi and Norwegian av di ("because"), Icelandic því (“the; because”), Faroese tí, Swedish ty.
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With a comparative or with more and a verb phrase, establishes a correlation with one or more other such comparatives.
The hotter(,) the better. (comma usually omitted in such very short expressions)
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks.
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The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children.
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it.
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With a comparative, and often with for it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated with none.
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it.
It was a difficult time, and I’m {none - not any} the wiser for it.
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I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that.
valued at half a pound the bushel; paying seven dollars the year interest
Next morning I was up at an early hour, to see the market held near the water gate. The beef was excellent: but at the high prices of ten-pence and one shilling the pound; mutton at the same price; fowls a dollar the couple, and showing “more feathers than flesh.”1837, James Edward Alexander, Narrative of a Voyage of Observation Among the Colonies of Western Africa, in the Flag-ship Thalia; and of a Campaign in Kaffir-land, on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief, in 1835, volume 1, London: Henry Colburn, pages 251–2:
Feſtus ſayde with a lowde voyce: Paul / thou arte beſides thy ſilfe. Moche learnynge hath made the mad.1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, The Actes off the Apostles xxvj:[24], folio cxcv, recto: