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Definition of contextual definition
: a definition in which the meaning of a word, expression, or symbol is partly or wholly determined by defining the meaning of a larger expression containing the definiendum (as a definition of legal right by the statement “X has a legal right to y=X has a claim upon somebody for possession of y which the courts will sustain”)
—contrasted with explicit definition — compare recursive definition
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Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
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