by definition

phrase

: because of what something or someone is : according to the definition of a word that is being used to describe someone or something

A volunteer by definition is not paid.

A glider is by definition an aircraft with no engine.

Examples of by definition in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This matters because the moment patients turn to one of these tools is, almost by definition, a moment of uncertainty and anxiety for them. — Arya Rao, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026

Game fowl are bred for aggression by definition, said Jenny Berg, California state director of the Humane World for Animals, which worked with Rogers on the bill. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Both by definition and in practice, there’s nothing special about a ripoff. — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026

This tradition is, almost by definition, imperfect in its translation, especially across centuries. — Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for by definition

• academician
• cycloaddition
• decomposition
• diagnostician
• disinhibition
• indisposition
• interposition
• juxtaposition
• mathematician
• metacognition
• metaphysician
• neurotransmission