定为 (dìng wéi) — to designate as; to prescribe as (formal)

Definition

定为 is a formal written verb used when an authority officially classifies or designates something as a category — typically in legal, policy, or institutional contexts.

verb
to designate asto prescribe as (formal)

Examples

  • 定为。
    Fǎ yuàn jiāng tā de xíng wéi dìng wéi fàn zuì.
    The court designated his behavior as a crime.
  • 定为。
    Zhè zhǒng bìng bèi dìng wéi hǎn jiàn bìng.
    This disease is classified as a rare disease.
  • 定为。
    Gāi dì qū bèi dìng wéi jīng jì tè qū.
    This region was designated as a special economic zone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

定dìngdecide
为wèias

定 means to decide or fix, and 为 contributes the idea of as, giving designate as.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

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