Definitheit

Definitheit, or definiteness, is a semantic and syntactic property of noun phrases indicating that the referent is specific and identifiable within the discourse or shared knowledge. The term is used across linguistics and philosophy of language and is contrasted with Indefinitheit (indefiniteness), which signals non-specific or newly introduced referents. Definiteness is often expressed through definite articles or demonstratives, but how it is realized varies between languages.

In languages with definite articles, definiteness is typically marked by determiners such as the German der/die/das or the English the. Indefiniteness is usually indicated by an indefinite article like ein/eine or a/an. Some languages rely on demonstratives, possessives, or case and word order to signal definiteness instead of a dedicated article. Others, including many article-less languages, use context or discourse cues to convey that a referent is definite.

Semantically, a definite noun phrase denotes a single, uniquely identifiable entity within the current discourse or common knowledge. Definite NPs often carry a presupposition of existence and familiarity: the listener is expected to know which entity is being talked about. Indefinite NPs introduce referents that are not identifiable in the same way or are new to the discourse.

Definitheit interacts with notions such as salience, anaphora, and specificity. Some languages exhibit strong versus weak readings of definiteness, while others rely on a combination of articles, demonstratives, and context. In philosophy of language, definite descriptions (as in the use of “the” with a description) are central to theories of reference, influencing approaches from Russellian analysis to contemporary contextualist views.