Writing for

Humanities:
Definitions
We’ll start at 2.33
Class dynamics for today and Friday
https://uniandes.padlet.org/jzivkovic101/tff8nto7fy774rth
Definitions are a common way to
start your writing
 When do we need to
use definitions?

The term or concept is unfamiliar to

your readers

You need to display your

understanding for a course paper or
exam
The origin of the term is interesting
and important

There is some ambiguity surrounding

the meaning
The most common ways to define are:

1. Short definitions (usually placed within a parentheses or commas)

Phrases: known as, defined as, called, etc.

2. Sentence definitions Fast food is a type of not healthy, ready to

eat food.

3. Extended definitions (longer and with more details)

Categories

When writing a definition, you should say what “group” the word belongs to.

For example:
sport
Soccer 
country
Colombia 
type of dance/ musical genre
Salsa 

What are some other common category words that you can use when writing definitions?
technique, method, process, device, system, etc.
Basic Definition Format

Term Verb Category Relative Clause

A solar cell is a device that/which converts the energy of sunlight into electric energy.

Term is /are a/an + category Relative clause

Language is a system of that/which is used by a particular community.

communication

Term is /are a/an + category Relative clause

Universidad de
los Andes

Term is /are a/an + category Relative clause

English 9
Activity 1. Categories in
Definitions
 There are other ways to define terms that use different definitional
elements, such as:
• name - This new species was named Ascochyta mycoparasitica.
• denote - These chemicals are denoted by the symbol (*). 
• call - A book containing lists of word definitions is called a dictionary.

Other • known as - Another principle source of heat is the natural increase in

temperature as the depth increases. This is known as the geothermal
gradient.
Definition • define - Fast food is defined as food sold by a franchised restaurant
chain offering both dining and take-out facilities with no "table"
Formats service.
• refer to - The natural gas contained in coal formations is referred to
as coal bed methane.
• i.e. - The elephant is a pachyderm, i.e., a large animal with thick skin
and nails on feet resembling hooves.
Relative Clauses

• Relative clauses are clauses starting with the relative pronouns who, that, which, whose, where.
• They are most often used to define or identify the noun that comes before them.

RELATIVE FOR EXAMPLES

PRONOUN

who people Steve Jobs is the person who invented the iphone.
which animals or things A telescope is an instrument which is designed to make distant objects appear
(but not people) closer.

that people, animals Mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the design,
and things construction, and use of machines.

whose possession and Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist whose psychoanalysis techniques
relationships his, became very popular in the 19th century.
her, its or their

where places La Casa Rosada is the house where the president lives in Argentina.
 Defining clases-
essential info
 provide essential information to identify a specific
person or thing

1. Roads that are cracked and uneven are dangerous to

drivers.
• cannot be left out of a sentence without changing
the meaning
Roads are dangerous to drivers.
 are not separated from the sentence with commas
 are introduced with "that" or “which” if referring to
things, or with “who” if referring to a person
• Drivers who must use damaged roads are in danger.
Non-defining-Non-essential
add extra information to a sentence
• My mother, who lives in Bucaramanga, is coming to visit.
• can be left out without changing the meaning
• My mother is coming to visit.

are always enclosed by commas

• can be introduced by "who" (for a person) or "which" (for a
thing), but never by "that”.
• My bicycle, which I’ve owned for years, needs some repairs.
 • Larry Nassar is a physician who abused
Is it a defining hundreds of female athletes during his career.
• Los Andes university has a new building that is
or a non- located next to Lleras.
defining • The book which we are going to use for the
course is yellow.
clause? • Bogota, which is the capital of Colombia, has
almost 10 million people.
 • Look at the example:
• Fast food is defined as food which is sold by
Definitions a franchised restaurant chain which offers
both dining and take-out facilities with no
with reduced "table" service.
relative
clauses
• If a definition is too long- reduce it!
Definitions with reduced relative clauses
• Look at the example:
• Fast food is defined as food which is sold by a franchised restaurant chain
which offers both dining and take-out facilities with no "table" service.

• Fast food is defined as food sold by a franchised restaurant chain offering

both dining and take-out facilities with no "table" service.

• If a definition is too long- reduce it!

 Only some of them were on
The Difference between which, who, and that
strike- and they blocked the
entrance

All of them(
• THAT can only be used in defining The workers-
clauses. who of the sentence is not
If the rest
btw were on strike-adding
defining, is not crucial- you cannot use THAT- go for either who or which.
information)

Only some of the books are

• The waterfront workers who were on strike blocked the entrance to the dock.
overdue- and those will incur
a fine
all of your library books are
• overdue
The waterfront workers, who were on strike, blocked the entrance to theanddock.
they all should be
returned immediately..

• Library books which are overdue will incur a fine.

• Your library books, which are overdue, should be returned immediately. The

exam that caused the most anxiety was statistics.

Activity 2. Relative Clauses
Activity 3. Writing definitions
Extended
definitions
  Extended definitions are used when it is relevant and
important to expand the definition in order to demonstrate
your knowledge of a concept.
 An extended definition usually begins with a general, one-
sentence definition and then becomes more specific as
additional details are provided.

Extended The types of details that can be included are:

• examples
Definitions • components
• applications
• types
• the history
• advantages and disadvantages
 Navigation

Navigation is a process that helps to guide transportation vessels to their destination when the
route has few or no landmarks. Some of the earliest navigators were sailors, who steered their ships
first by the stars, then with a compass, and later with more complicated instruments that measured
the position of the sun. We are reminded of this by the fact that the word navigation comes from
the Latin word for "ship." However, the history and importance of navigation changed radically in
the 20th century with the development of aircraft and missiles, which fly in three dimensions.
Today, both ships and aircraft rely heavily on computerized navigational systems, known as Global
Positioning System (GPS), that can provide a continuous, immediate, and accurate report of
position. In fact, the capabilities of GPS make the older positioning technologies impractical and
obsolete.

1. What type of information is included in each of the sentences in the definition?

2. How is the passage organized? Could it be organized better?
3. What tenses are used for which sentences? Why?
4. Sentence 3 begins with we. Is this appropriate?
Writing definitions
• Write a one-sentence definition
• Extend it
• Incorporate it into your
Problem-solution text (next
week)
Activity 4. Extended Definitions
Questions?