IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST BENEFICENT, THE MOST

MERCIFUL.

DEFINITIONS AND
THEIR USES
PRESENTED BY
SYEDA IRUM KAMAL (120)
HUMA IHSAN (136)
BBA (HONS)
5TH SEMESTER (EVENING)

DEFINATION

Definition may be defined as a group of words

that assign meaning to some words or groups of
words.

Every definition consists of two parts.

1. Definendum
2. Definiens

CONT D

DEFINENDUM: It is the word or group of

words that is supposed to be defined
DEFINIENS: It is the word or group of
words that does the defining. E.g.
The word bird means any warm blooded
vertebrate with feathers.
Here the word bird is the definendum and
everything after the word means is the
definiens.

KINDS OF
DEFINITION

1. STIPULATIVE
DEFINITON

A stipulative definition is a type of definition in

which a new or currently existing term is given a
specific meaning for the purposes of argument or
discussion in a given context.

EXAMPLE: In the riddle of induction by Nelson

Goodman, grue was stipulated to be a property
of an object that makes it appear green if observed
before some future time t, and blue if observed
afterwards.

CONT D

Grue has no meaning in standard English,

therefore, Goodman created the new term
and gave it a stipulative definition.

Another example is of word quark. The

word quark now widely used in Physics
was introduced by physicist Murray Gell
Mann in 1963 to name a type of subatomic
particle about which he has been theorizing.

CONT D

Stipulative definitions of existing terms are useful in

making theoretical arguments, or stating specific cases.
E.g.

Suppose we say that to love someone is to be willing to

die for that person.

For the purpose of argument, we will define a student

to be a person under 18 enrolled in a local school.

USES OF STIPULATIVE
DEFINITION

1. The need for a stipulative definition is

often occasioned by some new phenomenon
or development. E.g.
A few years ago the attempt was made at a
certain zoo to cross breed tigers and lions.
The offspring were produced from a male
tiger and female lion and a male lion and a
female tiger and were given name Tigon
and Liger.

CONT D

2. Another use for stipulative definition is to

set up secret codes. E.g.

Operation desert storm was the code

name given to military invasion of Iraq.

Operation Rah-e-Rast is the code name

given to the military operation of Swat.

CONT D

3. Stipulative definition is used to

replace a more complex expression
with a simple one, thus saving time and
increasing clarity. E.g.
The number equal to a billion trillion
has been named a zata, and the
number equal to a trillion trillions is
called a yotta.

2. LEXICAL DEFINITION

A lexical definition is used to report the meaning

that a word already has in language. Dictionary
definitions are all examples of lexical definition.
Lexical definition may be either true or false. E.g.

The definition the word bird means any warm

blooded vertebrate with feathers is true, that is a
correct report of how the word bird is generally
used by speakers of English.

CONT D

On the other hand, the definition the word

bird means any two footed mammal is
obviously false.

DIFFERENCE B/W LEXICAL &

STIPULATIVE DEFINITION

Truth or falsity may apply to former but not

the later. In a stipulative definition the
definendum has no meaning apart from the
definition that introduces it, so that the
definition cannot be true or false. But the
definendum of a lexical definition does have
a prior and independent meaning and
therefore its definition may be true or false
depending on whether that meaning is
reported correctly or incorrectly.

3. PRECISING
DEFINITON

Precising definitions are those used to eliminate

ambiguity or vagueness. E.g.
A dictionary may define the term student as
(1) any one attending an educational institution of
any type OR
(2) anyone who studies something.
However a movie theater may propose a Precising
definition for the word student as any person
under the age of 18 enrolled in a local school in
order to determine who is eligible to receive
discounted tickets.

CONT D

Another example can be of word poor.

The word poor is vague. If legislation
were ever introduced to give direct financial
assistance to the poor. A Precising definition
would have to be supplied specifying
exactly who is poor and who is not.

CONT D

The definition poor means having an

annual income of less than $ 4,ooo and a
net worth of less than $ 20,000 is an
example of Precising definition.

This type of definition is

preventing disputes that arise
involved parties using different
of the term in question.

useful in
from the
definitions

4. THEORITICAL
DEFINITION

Theoretical definition of a term is one

which attempt to formulate a theoretically
adequate characterization of the objects to
which it is applied
OR
Its purpose is to formulate a theoretically
adequate
or
scientifically
useful
description of the object to which it
applies.

CONT D

In science and philosophy definition often

serve as a compressed summary of some
theory. One definition is replaced by
another as our knowledge and theoretical
understanding increases. Physicist have
given different definition of heat at
different times because they accepted
different theories of heat at those different
times.

5. PERSUASIVE
DEFINITION

A definition put forward to resolve a dispute

by influencing attitudes or stirring emotions
may be called a persuasive definition.
The objective of a persuasive definition is to
influence the attitude of the reader or
listener.
Persuasive definitions commonly appear in
controversial topics such as politics, religion
etc.