definition

[def-uh-nish-uhn]

noun

1. the act of defining, or of making something definite, distinct, or clear.

   We need a better definition of her responsibilities.

2. the formal statement of the meaning or significance of a word, phrase, idiom, etc., as found in dictionaries. An online dictionary resource, such as Dictionary.com, can give users direct, immediate access to the definitions of a term, allowing them to compare definitions from various dictionaries and stay up to date with an ever-expanding vocabulary.

3. the condition of being definite, distinct, or clearly outlined.

   His biceps have great muscle definition.

4. Optics.,  sharpness of the image formed by an optical system.

5. Radio and Television.,  the accuracy of sound or picture reproduction.

definition

/ ˌdɛfɪˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. a formal and concise statement of the meaning of a word, phrase, etc

2. the act of defining a word, phrase, etc

3. specification of the essential properties of something, or of the criteria which uniquely identify it

4. the act of making clear or definite

5. the state or condition of being clearly defined or definite

6. a measure of the clarity of an optical, photographic, or television image as characterized by its sharpness and contrast

Other Word Forms

• definitional adjective
• definitionally adverb
• predefinition noun
• redefinition noun
• self-definition noun
• subdefinition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of definition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English diffinicioun, from Old French diffinition, from Latin dēfīnītiōn- (stem of dēfīnītiō ), equivalent to dēfīnīt(us) ( definite ) + -iōn- noun suffix ( -ion )

Example Sentences

By definition, pop music is inextricably tied to its time period, the subject matter and sound speaking to its modern, often younger audiences.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mark Hoplamazian, CEO of Hyatt Hotels, said in a Nov. 6 earnings call that a reduction in air travel “by definition” means there are fewer people flying and thus needing to stay at a hotel.

Read more on Barron's

Below I subject to statistical scrutiny the various definitions of the Santa Claus rally that I’ve come across in recent years.

Read more on MarketWatch

But this is Patti Smith, so nothing will be conventional or usual, at least within the narrow scope of the definitions of those words.

Read more on Salon

Referees now have a whole menu of reasons to give handball, with the aim to give a "clearer and more consistent definition and interpretation".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• answer 
• explanation 
• interpretation 
• rationale 
• solution 
• translation