article
the
thuh
article
1
Used before a noun to show that the listener already knows, or can work out, exactly which thing is meant.
"Please close the door."
"The sun rises in the east."
adv
1
Used with comparative adjectives to show one thing changing in step with another.
"The more you practice, the better you get."
How to Use The
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe definite article — it points to a specific, already-identified thing, as opposed to "a/an," which introduces something new or unspecified.
Common mistake
Compare "I saw a dog" (some dog, unspecified) with "I saw the dog" (a particular dog both speaker and listener know about).
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Please close _____ door.
Etymology
From Old English þē, a form of the demonstrative pronoun that eventually took over as the standard definite article in Middle English.