C h a p t e r 9
Definition
A
definition paper is particularly useful in dealing with abstract terms such as
democracy, love, hope, and ethics. In some cases, when a special term requires
a definition, the dictionary definition will suffice. In other cases, however, a whole
paragraph or even a full-length paper may be necessary. For instance, a single-
sentence definition of artificial intelligence may be adequate for the lay person, but
the scientific community involved in the research may provide a several-page defini-
tion. Be sure you understand to what extent the instructor expects you to define. The
scope of the definition depends on the purpose, and the purpose generally depends
on the audience.
CHARACTERISTICS
In general, regardless of length, a definition
-^ identifies the term to be defined,
-^ identifies the class to which the term belongs,
-^ identifies the difference between this term and all others in the class. For
example:
A computer catalog (term to be defined) is an index (class to which the term
belongs) of all the books in a given library (difference between computer
catalog and all other indexes).
-^ uses terminology suitable for the audience, reducing technical terms to lay
terms for the lay audience,
-^ sometimes uses the negative to identify what the term is not,
-^ may include examples by way of explanation,
-^ may include process analysis [see Chapter 14, Process Analysis],
-^ may include cause and effect [see Chapter 6, Cause and Effect],
-^ may include comparison, especially to show the unfamiliar in terms of the
familiar [see Chapter 8, Comparison and Contrast, and Chapter 5, Analogy],
-^ may include description [see Chapter 10, Description].