ostensive definition

American

noun

Philosophy.

the definition of a term by pointing to one or more examples to which the term can be applied.

Etymology

Origin of ostensive definition

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though what he will run up against is the difficulty of what in philosophy is termed ostensive definition: he can point from the Olympic "alchemy" that conjured up "a determined pride in what our country now is" towards a wider and more complex future world.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023