CR 7.1-7.2: Definition

What is definition?

1.The act of defining a word, phrase, or term.

2.The act of making clear and distinct.

3.A determining of outline, extent, or limits.

Types of Definitions Traditionally Used in Definition Essays

Analysis: Divide the subject into parts and define each part separately.

Classification: According to dictionary definitions, what classes does the subject belong to?

Examples and Incidents: Narrate illustrations that can clarify a group, theory, or object.

Origins and Causes: Where did the subject come from? What is the background information? What is the history of the subject?

Comparison: The unfamiliar may be defined by showing its likeness to the familiar or its difference from it.

Details: What are the physical characteristics, traditional thoughts, and other distinguishing attributes that describe the subject of the paper?

Negation: Mention what it is not in order to clear the ground for what it is.

Results, Effects, and Uses: Discuss the consequences and uses of the subject.