Definition

A definition is a statement that gives the meaning of a term.

- Derived from the Latin word definire which means to enclose within limits or to make
boundaries or limits
- The boundary of a field is defined by indicating the limits within which a field is confined
and bounded which it is marked off from other fields; similarly, a term is defined by
indicating the limits within which it is used and by which it is marked off from other terms.
- Definition is not a proposition or sentence but a term, generally a complex term.

Parts of a Definition
1. Definiendum – the word that is defined
2. Definiens – the phrase that explains the definiendum

Kinds of Definition

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I. Kinds of Definition Based on Usage

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A. Lexical Definition
A lexical definition (Latin, lexis which means “word”) is the definition of a word

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according to the meaning customarily assigned to it by the community of users. It simply
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reports the meaning which a word already has among the users of the language in which
the word occurs. A dictionary or lexicon comprises this kind of definition.
E.g.: Lexicon - dictionary: a reference book that alphabetically lists words and their meanings, e.g. of an ancient
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language
River -
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large natural channel of water: a natural stream of water that flows through land and
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empties into a body of water such as an ocean or lake

B. Stipulative Definition
A stipulative definition is a kind of definition in which a new word or term is coined
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in order to signify a meaning or object for which no word in the language has previously
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been given.
For example, the word selfie has been invented in order to signify a person who
loves to take picture of himself or herself.
Suppose that another living creature was found in another planet. Surely, there is no
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word in our language to signify such creature. We, then, have to stipulate that the creature
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shall be known by this or that particular name. Doing this means making a stipulative
definition.
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C. Precising Definition
The purpose of a precising definition is to reduce the vagueness of a word. There
are terms in our language which must have precise definitions because some future actions
are based on our knowledge of them.

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 For example, the arguments for or against contraception requires a clear, precise,
and unambiguous definition of life of human organism because such definition implies the
moral bearing of contraception.
Other examples which need precising definitions are legal terms like “theft”,
“murder”, “private property”, “rights”, and “sovereignty” since the definition sets the
condition of understanding laws and legislative praxis.

D. Theoretical Definition
Theoretical definitions attempt to define an object according to its true nature, and
not necessarily according to the way the word is used by a community of users.
Take, for instance, the definition of table salt as sodium chloride. Unless the persons
involved have some acquaintance with elementary chemistry, this would be a bad
definition, for it would define the familiar in terms of the unfamiliar. For those acquainted
with the principles of chemistry, however, this definition is the best one, for it reveals the

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real nature of salt. Other familiar theoretical definitions are “force equals mass times

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acceleration,” or “light is electromagnetic energy (of a certain range of wavelengths).” For

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scientific purposes, theoretical definitions are necessary and cannot be replaced by other
types of definitions. A theoretical definition answers the question, “What really is x?” where

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“x” is the object whose name is to be defined.
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Philosophers, too, are interested in theoretical definitions. The desire to know what
is really the nature of “human person”, “knowledge”, “existence”, “being”, “beauty” etc.,
tells us why philosophy today have so many branches like Philosophy of the Human Person,
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Epistemology, Existentialism, Metaphysics, and Aesthetics which endeavour to get correct

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theoretical definitions of the objects just mentioned.

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E. Persuasive Definition
Some definitions are intended either mainly or at least partly to influence attitudes.
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Persuasive definition, under which these definitions are categorized, incites either
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favourable or unfavourable responses to the object so defined. Here are examples of

persuasive definitions:
Democracy is a government of the weak, inferior race.
Democracy is a government of the people by the people for the people.
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A dictator is one who achieves greatness by violence in the political sphere.

Love is only an illusion on people who do not know the difference between reality and
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fantasy.
Contraception is the deliberate prevention of unwanted pregnancy so that families may be
able to give the best care to their children.
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Contraception is the wilful interference of God’s will so that children who would have seen
the light of day are deliberately prevented from doing so.
Persuasive is not really concerned with revealing the true nature of the concept
defined but of influencing attitude by using phrases that appeal to one’s emotion.

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 II. Kinds of Definition Based on Extension and Intension

A. Extensional Definition
Also known as Denotative Definition, it is a way of defining a word based on giving
examples of the things or objects referred to by a term. For example, defining a computer
for someone who never saw a computer before would be utterly lacking. It is important,
therefore, to show him or her a computer. Showing a computer to describe a term
“computer” is an extensional definition.
2 Types:
1. Definition by Example – a definition in which we list or give examples of the objects
denoted by the term
2. Ostensive – an extensional definition which merely points out an object referred by a
term.
3. Quasi-ostensive – an extensional definition which does not only point the object referred
to by the term but also gives a description about the object being pointed out.

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Extensional or denotative definitions are important especially when a term requires

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a demonstration in order to be understood. For example, one cannot define “color red”

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without pointing to something that is of color red.
There are, however, serious limitations of extensional or denotative definitions. One

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limitation is that a person who uses this kind of definition is that he may not be able to
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articulate what the thing really is because he knows only what the thing is like. Articulation
of meaning is important because it clarifies ambiguity in understanding, and more
importantly, it indicates the depth of understanding a person has of a particular term.
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Another reason is that extensional definitions cannot define terms that have no extension.
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For instance, how can we extensionally define terms like “length”, “infinite”, “nothingness”,
“value”, etc?

B. Intensional Definition
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Also known as connotative definition or definition by comprehension, it is a way of defining

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a word by giving its meaning. Giving the meaning of the term may be done through giving
its etymological origin or its synonym, or stating the essential attributes of the concept
signified by the term.
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4 Types:
1. Etymological Definition - Defines a word by giving the meaning of the word or words
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from which it is derived. E.g. Philosophy is derived from philos, a Greek word which means
“loving,” and Sophia, which means “wisdom”.
2. Definition by Synonym - Defines a word by giving a synonym (either of the same
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language as the word to be defined or of a different language) that is better known than the
word to be defined. E.g. anthropos means man, to confect means to put together
3. Operational Definition – A type of intensional definition widely used in science. It
defines a word or an occurrence by stating the necessary conditions that are required in

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 order for something to be called such a term. It has a form “Something is X, if and only
if…”
For instance, X is magnetic, if and only if, whenever any piece of iron, nickel or cobalt is
placed closed to it, it attracts the latter toward itself.
Another example: X is harder than Y, if and only if, when a point of X is drawn on the
surface of Y, X scratches Y.
4. Definition by Genus and Difference or Real Definition – is regarded as the best type
of definition because it tells us what a thing really is. It is defining a term by giving a larger
class to which the concept signified by the term belongs (called as genus) and stating the
properties that a concept has that differentiates it from other concepts under the same
genus (called as difference).
For example:
Man is a rational animal. (“Animal” is the genus because it is the larger class to which the
concept “man” belongs. “Rational” is the difference because it is what differs man from all

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other animals.)

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Girl is a young woman. (Genus = woman; Difference = young)

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Triangle is a plane figure bounded by three straight lines. (Genus = plane figure;

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Difference = bounded by three straight lines)

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Limits of Real Definition: rs e
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a. Only common terms can be defined by real definition. Proper names such as names of
places, things, or people are identified rather than defined.
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b. Transcendental concepts (“being”, “thing”, “something”, and so on) cannot be defined by

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a strict definition but can only be described.

c. Supreme genera (“being”, “substance”) cannot be defined by real definition because they
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do not have genus.

d. Immediate data of experience like color, taste, smell, etc. cannot be defined by real
definition.
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Rules of Definition:
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1. A definition should state the essential attributes of the object being defined.
Essential attributes are attributes which make the object what it is. So, a good
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definition of “X” must be able to answer the question “What really is X?”
The definition of man as a rational animal satisfies this criterion, for it tells us what
man really is. However, defining man as an animal who is capable of speech violates this
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rule because being able to speak is not what makes man as “man”.

2. A definition should be neither too broad nor too narrow.

When a definition is too broad, it might include objects which are not proper
extensions of the term, and when it is too narrow, it might exclude objects which are really
extensions of the term.

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 For instance, if we define man as a bipedal mammal then we have to include, based
on that definition, other mammals which are also bipedal like apes. Or, if we define man as
a rational animal with two legs, two hands, and one head, then our definition is too narrow
since it would exclude people who do not have complete legs or hands.

3. A definition must not be circular.

This means that the definiendum must not appear in the definiens. A definition
violates this rule when the term that is supposed to be defined is used to define itself.
Examples of definition that violates this rule:
“Sympathy” is the feeling of a person who feels sympathetic.
“Fallacy” is an argument that is fallacious.
A “circle” is a plane figure that has a circular shape.

4. A definition should not be expressed in figurative, obscure and ambiguous

language.
Good definitions do not use metaphor or figurative languages. The purpose of

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definition is to give us clear idea of what a thing is, and using figurative language will not

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allow us to achieve that. No matter how appealing such a definition, still it gives no clear

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idea of what it tries to define. It also defeats the purpose of definition if we define words

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using other words that are more unfamiliar and obscure.
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Examples of definition that violates this rule:
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An elephant is an animal with a long prosboscis.
A lover is someone who gives you sunshine.
God is the alpha and the omega.
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5. A definition should as much as possible be affirmative, rather than negative.

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The purpose of definition is primarily to tell us what a thing is, not what a thing is not.
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Examples of definition that violate this rule:

A plant is a living thing that is not an animal.
A girl is a person who is not a boy.
Life means the opposite of death.
But there are terms which are essentially negative, and a defining such terms requires
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negative definition. Hence, such negative definitions do not violate this rule. Here are the
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examples:
A bald person is someone who has no hair in the head.
A mute person is someone who cannot speak.
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