Added 9 October 2026
the
/ðə/ symbol
In Latin: ille, ly, ipse Wiktionary
symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about the at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
article
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Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun The definite grammatical article that shows that the noun phrase that immediately follows it is definitely identifiable... ...because it has already been mentioned, is to be completely specified in the same sentence, or very shortly thereafter. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
I’m reading the book Mary reviewed. (Compare I’m reading a book Mary reviewed.)
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The definite grammatical article that shows that the noun phrase that immediately follows it is definitely identifiable... ...because it has already been mentioned, is to be completely specified in the same sentence, or very shortly thereafter. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
I’m reading the book Mary reviewed. (Compare I’m reading a book Mary reviewed.)
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...because it has already been mentioned, is to be completely specified in the same sentence, or very shortly thereafter. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
I’m reading the book Mary reviewed. (Compare I’m reading a book Mary reviewed.)
adverb
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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)
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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.
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Beyond all others.
We went the furthest under her leadership.
preposition
Origin
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pronoun), a late variant of sē, the s- (which occurred in the masculine and feminine nominative singular only) having been replaced by the þ- from the oblique stem. replaced words, cognates Originally neutral nominative, in Middle English it superseded all previous Old English nominative forms (sē m, sēo f, þæt n, þā pl); sē is from Proto-West Germanic *siz, from Proto-Germanic *sa, ultimately from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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)