It’s called the definite article, and we use it to talk about specific things —.. The meaning of the is —used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has been previously specified by context or by circumstance.
The is the most commonly used word in the english language, according to the oxford english corpus, making it one of the most important words to learn.. Used preceding a noun that has been previously specified → compare a2 2.