The

1. denoting one or more people or things already mentioned or assumed to be common knowledge. "what's the matter?" used to refer to a person, place, or thing that is unique. "the Queen" INFORMAL•ARCHAIC denoting a disease or affliction. "I've got the flu" (with a unit of time) the present; the current. "dish of the day" INFORMAL used instead of a possessive to refer to someone with whom the speaker or person addressed is associated. "I'm meeting the boss" used with a surname to refer to a family or married couple. "the Johnsons were not wealthy" used before the surname of the chief of a Scottish or Irish clan. "the O'Donoghue" 2. used to point forward to a following qualifying or defining clause or phrase. "the fuss that he made of her" (chiefly with rulers and family members with the same name) used after a name to qualify it. "George the Sixth" 3. used to make a generalized reference to something rather than identifying a particular instance. "he taught himself to play the violin" used with a singular noun to indicate that it represents a whole species or class. "they placed the African elephant on their endangered list" used with an adjective to refer to those people who are of the type described. "the unemployed" used with an adjective to refer to something of the class or quality described. "they are trying to accomplish the impossible" used with the name of a unit to state a rate. "they can do 120 miles to the gallon"