What is the difference between definite and indefinite articles?

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What is the difference between definite and indefinite articles?

The difference between definite and indefinite articles lies in their usage and the level of specificity they provide.

Definite articles (such as "the") are used to refer to a specific noun or noun phrase that is already known or has been mentioned before. They indicate that the noun is unique or known to both the speaker and the listener. For example, "The cat is sitting on the mat."

Indefinite articles (such as "a" or "an") are used to refer to a non-specific noun or noun phrase. They indicate that the noun is not known or specific to the listener. For example, "I saw a cat on the street." In this case, the speaker is referring to any cat, not a specific one.