definition

[def-uh-nish-uhn]

noun

1. the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear.

   We need a better definition of her responsibilities.

2. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc., as found in dictionaries. An online dictionary resource, such as Dictionary.com, can give users direct, immediate access to the definitions of a term, allowing them to compare definitions from various dictionaries and stay up to date with an ever-expanding vocabulary.

3. the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.

   His biceps have great muscle definition.

4. Optics.,  sharpness of the image formed by an optical system.

5. Radio and Television.,  the accuracy of sound or picture reproduction.

definition

/ ˌdɛfɪˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. a formal and concise statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, etc

2. the act of defining a word, phrase, etc

3. specification of the essential properties of something, or of the criteria which uniquely identify it

4. the act of making clear or definite

5. the state or condition of being clearly defined or definite

6. a measure of the clarity of an optical, photographic, or television image as characterized by its sharpness and contrast

Other Word Forms

• definitional adjective
• definitionally adverb
• predefinition noun
• redefinition noun
• self-definition noun
• subdefinition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of definition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English diffinicioun, from Old French diffinition, from Latin dēfīnītiōn- (stem of dēfīnītiō ), equivalent to dēfīnīt(us) ( definite ) + -iōn- noun suffix ( -ion )

Example Sentences

Another Democratic senator has proposed a federal definition of bullying.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The dead civilians have thus far all been foreign nationals, which is to say: excluded from our operating definition of human beings endowed with certain unalienable rights.

Read more on Salon

And as scientific understanding progresses, so do our definitions.

Read more on Barron's

“If you’re systematically buying calls to get exposure, or buying puts to get exposure, you are by definition buying an asset that you know where time works against you,” Sosnick says.

Read more on Barron's

“Negative impacts might be more severe in the absence of efforts to adapt,” the report is reduced to nonsensically arguing, as if adaptation is not the definition of being alive for humans and other creatures.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• answer 
• explanation 
• interpretation 
• rationale 
• solution 
• translation