the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear. We need a better definition of her responsibilities. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc., as found in dictionaries.
A definition states the meaning of a word using other words. This is sometimes challenging. Common dictionaries contain lexical descriptive definitions, but there are various types of definition – all with different purposes and focuses. A definition is a semantic statement of the meaning of a term (a word, phrase, or other set of symbols). [1][2] Definitions can be classified into two large ...
1. to state or set forth the meaning of (a word, etc.). 2. to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of; describe. 3. to specify: to define responsibilities. 4. to determine or fix the boundaries or extent of. 5. to make clear the outline or form of. de•fin`a•bil′i•ty, n. de•fin′er, n.
If you define something, you show, describe, or state clearly what it is and what its limits are, or what it is like. We were unable to define what exactly was wrong with him. [VERB wh] He was asked to define his concept of cool. [VERB noun]