definition

def·i·ni·tion

noun \ˌde-fə-ˈni-shən\

Definition of DEFINITION

1

: an act of determining; specifically : the formal proclamation of a Roman Catholic dogma

2

a : a statement expressing the essential nature of something

b : a statement of the meaning of a word or word group or a sign or symbol <dictionary definitions>

c : a product of defining

3

: the action or process of stating the meaning of a word or word group

4

a : the action or the power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear <the definition of a telescope> <her comic genius is beyond definition>

b (1) : clarity of visual presentation : distinctness of outline or detail <improve the definition of an image> (2) : clarity especially of musical sound in reproduction

c : sharp demarcation of outlines or limits <a jacket with distinct waist definition>

— def·i·ni·tion·al \-ˈni-shə-n^əl\ adjective

Examples of DEFINITION

1. What is the legal definition of a corporation?
2. A week of fishing is my definition of a vacation.
3. a monitor with good definition and vibrant colors
4. For the last eight years or so, I've been watching the evolution of bikes made for women. At the beginning of that time, there were a small number of women's bikes available, most offered with low-end, sometimes no-name, spec, as if by definition all women riders were beginners. —Christine Bucher, Bicycling, March 2008
5. Not only is Ellen Byrne a chocolatier, but she takes the definition of artisan to a higher level. —Amy Johansson, Chocolatier, February/March 2006
6. One kind of poverty is that of the imagination—the inability to envision a future truly different from the present. Jasmine had long judged people based on whether or not they gave her food and clothing, but, as she watched Carolyn and Gus and other families, she found herself mulling different gauges of worth. She'd been working lately on a definition of love. —Katherine Boo, New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2005
7. Ideology thus provides definition of both systemic reality and values: it provides a set of preconceptions of what is and of what ought to be. —Warren J. Samuels, Modern Economic Thought, (1977) 1993

Origin of DEFINITION

Middle English diffinicioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin definition-, definitio, from definire (see define)

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DEFINITION

Synonyms

description, delineation, depiction, picture, portrait, portraiture, portrayal, rendering, sketch, vignette

Related Words

account, anecdote, chronicle, narrative, report, story, tale, yarn; demonstration, exemplification, illustration; clarification, elucidation, explanation, explication, exposition

Rhymes with DEFINITION

acoustician, acquisition, admonition, aesthetician, air-condition, ammunition, apparition, apposition, coalition, co-edition, competition, composition, cosmetician, decommission, decondition, demolition, deposition, dietitian, disposition, disquisition, electrician, erudition, exhibition, expedition, exposition, extradition, first edition, imposition, in addition, inanition, in commission, inhibition, inquisition, intermission, intromission, intuition, linguistician, logistician, malnutrition, malposition, manumission, mathematician, mechanician, micturition, obstetrician, on commission, opposition, Ordovician, parturition, politician, precognition, precondition, premonition, preposition, proposition, recognition, recondition, repetition, requisition, rescue mission, rhetorician, self-ignition, statistician, submunition, superstition, supposition, text edition, trade edition, transposition

def·i·ni·tion

noun \ˌdef-ə-ˈnish-ən\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of DEFINITION

: the action or the power of making definite and clear <the definition of a microscope lens>

definition

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In philosophy, the specification of the meaning of an expression relative to a language. Definitions may be classified as lexical, ostensive, and stipulative. Lexical definition specifies the meaning of an expression by stating it in terms of other expressions whose meaning is assumed to be known (e.g., a ewe is a female sheep). Ostensive definition specifies the meaning of an expression by pointing to examples of things to which the expression applies (e.g., green is the color of grass, limes, lily pads, and emeralds). Stipulative definition assigns a new meaning to an expression (or a meaning to a new expression); the expression defined (definiendum) may either be a new expression that is being introduced into the language for the first time, or an expression that is already current.