definition
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.ən/
ipa: [ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.n̩]
ipa: /ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.ən/
ipa: [ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.n̩]
ipa: /ˌdɛf.əˈnɪʃ.ən/
ipa: [ˌdɛf.əˈnɪʃ.n̩]
note: Indic
ipa: /ˈɖɛf(ɪ~ə)nɪʃən/
Forms: form: definitions
Etymology: From Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin dēfīnītiō, from dēfīniō. Equivalent to define + -ition.
Senses: examples: text: Your definition of "elephant" needs to be more precise than "a big animal with large ears".
text: DEFINITIONS mean nothing unless the concept in the mind of the men who makes the definition is the same as that in the mind of the man who hears it.
ref: 1925, Thomas R. Marshall, Recollections of Thomas R. Marshall, Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, →OL, page 65:
text: Phrases such as “woman of the moment” were added to equal the old saying of the “man of the moment.” And one of the definitions of “woman” now refers to a “person’s wife, girlfriend, or female lover,” as opposed to being tied to only a man.
ref: 2020 November 9, Christina Zdanowicz, “Oxford dictionaries change ‘sexist’ and outdated definitions of the word ‘woman’”, in CNN:
topics: human-sciences
lexicography
linguistics
sciences
semantics
glosses: A statement of the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol; especially, a dictionary definition.
examples: text: Baroque is a good game, but only for a very narrow subset of the gaming audience. It is the very definition of a niche title.
ref: 2008 May, Shoeless Wayne Santos, “Baroque” (game review), GameAxis Unwired, Hardware Zone Pte, page 51
text: Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem
ref: 2016 March 1, Stuart Heritage, “Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy - it’s the very definition of a hidden gem”, in The Guardian:
text: That Trump just came out and asked for Zelensky to investigate the Bidens – after reminding him several times of how much the US did for Ukraine!!!! – is something very close to the textbook definition of a quid pro quo.
ref: 2019 September 25, Chris Cilizza, “The Ukraine call ‘transcript’ is pretty darn close to a smoking gun”, in ThePo!nt, CNN:
glosses: A clear instance conforming to the dictionary or textbook definition.
raw_tags: with the definite article the
glosses: A statement expressing the essential nature of something; formulation
glosses: The action or process of defining.
glosses: The act of defining; determination of the limits.
glosses: A product of defining.
examples: text: Her comic genius is beyond definition.
glosses: The action or power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.
examples: text: The definition of a telescope.
text: Improve the definition of an image.
text: high-definition videos
glosses: Clarity of visual presentation, distinctness of outline or detail.
glosses: Clarity, especially of musical sound in reproduction.
examples: text: A jacket with distinct waist definition.
glosses: Sharp demarcation of outlines or limits.
topics: bodybuilding
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: The degree to which individual muscles are distinct on the body.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
programming
sciences
glosses: A statement which provides a previous declaration with a value or body of a subroutine (in the case of function).
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: A statement that establishes the referent of a term or notation.
examples: text: However, some clues include words that do not form part of the wordplay or the definition.
ref: 2014, Henry Howarth, Learn How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords: A Course for Beginners, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 59:
coordinate_terms: wordplay
qualifier: crosswording
glosses: The part of a cryptic clue which defines but does not indicate the solution.
Synonyms: word: definition
word: meaning
Hypernyms: word: statement
Hyponyms: circular definition
conceptual definition
cryptic definition
dictionary definition
double definition
enumerative definition
extended definition
extensional definition
inductive definition
intensional definition
lexical definition
operational definition
ostensive definition
precising definition
recursive definition
standard definition
stipulative definition
working definition
Meronyms: word: genus
word: differentia
Derived terms: by definition
counterdefinition
daffynition
definitioneering
definitionism
definitionless
definition list
high-definition
metadefinition
misdefinition
nondefinition
overdefinition
predefinition
redefinition
subdefinition
undefinition
underdefinition
Related terms: word: define
word: definiendum
word: definiens
word: definitional
word: definition by example
word: definition by pointing
word: genus
word: differentia
word: demarcation
word: specification
word: formulation