Definitions Flashcards, test questions and answers

Discover flashcards, test exam answers, and assignments to help you learn more about Definitions and other subjects. Don’t miss the chance to use them for more effective college education. Use our database of questions and answers on Definitions and get quick solutions for your test.

What is Definitions?

A definition is a statement of the meaning of a word or phrase, typically found in an dictionary. It can also refer to the act of explaining something, as in defining one’s terms. Definitions are important tools used by linguists and philosophers alike to explain how words and ideas relate to each other.Definitions usually include two components: a description of what a term means, and the criteria for determining if something falls under that definition. For example, when defining the word cat, one might say it is an animal with four legs, fur, whiskers, claws and pointed ears. The criteria here would be that any animal meeting these characteristics fits within this definition of cat. Such definitions are often highly precise and detailed so as to accurately convey the intended meaning; however they may also be broad so as to encompass all objects which meet certain parameters (the aforementioned cat example being such). In philosophy and law, definitions are even more important because they provide clear guidelines on how concepts should be applied in practice. They can help establish rules for reasoning about complex issues; for instance legal interpretations need precise definitions of key terms like negligence or reasonable suspicion before decisions can be made regarding their application in court cases. Similarly philosophical arguments rely heavily upon careful definitions both for clarity of thought but also because different schools of thought often have conflicting definitions for terms thus making resolution between them difficult without first establishing agreed-upon meanings behind those words in use. Overall then we can see that language relies heavily upon accurate descriptions; without such precision our ability to effectively communicate would suffer greatly from misunderstandings caused by imprecise communication techniques like double entendres or metaphors which lack exacting context cues sufficient enough to convey unambiguous messages between parties involved.