definition
/ˌdɛf.ɪˈnɪʃ.ən/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.58 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A statement of the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol; especially, a dictionary definition.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The action or power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Your definition of "elephant" needs to be more precise than "a big animal with large ears"."
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
- "Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem"
- "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."
Etymology
From Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin dēfīnītiō, from dēfīniō. Equivalent to define + -ition.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: diffinicioun, definition, dēfīnītiō
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
define
definiendum
definiens
definitional
definition by example
definition by pointing
genus
differentia