definitionn.

Brit.

/ˌdɛfᵻˈnɪʃn/, U.S.

/ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən/

Forms: α. Middle English–1500s diffinicioun, etc. (with usual interchange of i and y), Middle English–1500s diffinition, etc., 1500s Scottish diffinitioun; β. Middle English–1500s defi-, 1500s defynicion(e, 1500s– definition.

Etymology: < Old French de-, def-, diffinicion (also definison ), < Latin dēfīnītiōn-em (also in manuscripts diff- ), noun of action < dēfīnīre : see define v. Compare Provençal diff-, deffinicio, Spanish definicion, Italian difinizione.

†1. The setting of bounds or limits; limitation, restriction. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > quality of being restricted or limited > [noun] > restriction or limitation

definitionc1386

limiting1391

moderation1429

limitation1483

restriction1554

restraint1566

limit1572

stint1593

prescription1604

stintance1605

bounding1607

confining1608

confine1609

circumscriptiona1616

definement1643

stricture1649

stinting1656

circumscribing1660

contractiona1670

confinement1678

contracting1692

narrowing1871

c1386 G. Chaucer Wife of Bath's Prol. 25 Yit herd I never tellen..Uppon this noumbre diffinicioun.

1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 403 b/2 Thenne said he ben they knowen which men shal suffre thyse passyons without dyffynycion.

2. The action of determining a controversy or question at issue; determination, decision; spec. a formal decision or pronouncement of an ecclesiastical authority. Obsolete except in specific use.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > [noun]

doomc950

redeOE

lookingc1300

assizec1314

judging1357

definitionc1384

man's dayc1384

termination1395

discretiona1400

discussiona1425

decidingc1443

judicial1447

decisionc1454

arbitry1489

determinationa1513

determining1530

decerninga1535

discuss1556

discussment1559

thought1579

decernment1586

arbitrage1601

dijudication1615

crisis1623

decidementa1640

determinatinga1640

discernment1646

syndication1650

judication1651

dijudicatinga1656

adjudicature1783

call1902

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Dan. xi. 36 Diffinicioun, or dome [a1425 L.V. determynynge], is fully don.

1532–3 Act 24 Hen. VIII c. 12 §9 A finall decree, sentence, judgement, diffinicion, and determinacion.

1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. i. v. f. 15 Ye determinatiouns and diffinitiouns of general counsellis.

1634 R. H. tr. Regim. Salerni 13 This question..whether a man should eate more at Dinner, or at Supper. For definition hereof, it is to be noted [etc.].

1654 J. Bramhall Just Vindic. Church of Eng. viii. 241 This challenge of infallibility diminisheth their [sc. councils'] authority, discrediteth their definitions.

1864 J. H. Newman Apologia 392 Infallibility cannot act outside of a definite circle of thought, and it must in all its decisions, or definitions, as they are called, profess to be keeping within it.

3. Logic, etc. The action of defining, or stating exactly what a thing is, or what a word means.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] > act of defining

circumscription1531

definition1645

diorism1664

the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical proposition > term of a proposition > [noun] > definition

description1574

definition1645

explicit definition1853

definiens1871

1645 J. Milton Tetrachordon 18 Definition is that which refines the pure essence of things from the circumstance.

1690 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding iii. iii. 192 Definition being nothing but making another understand by Words, what Idea the term defined stands for.

1730 N. Bailey et al. Dictionarium Britannicum Definition (with Logicians), an unfolding the essence or being of a thing by its kind and difference.

1858 J. Martineau Stud. Christianity 226 Definition is always an enclosure of the true by exclusion of the false.

1860 W. Thomson Outl. Laws of Thought (ed. 5) §54. 82 Definition expounds all the marks implied in the notion, and so represents to us the nature or specific character of it.

1860 W. Thomson Outl. Laws of Thought (ed. 5) §69. 111.

1885 W. L. Davidson Logic of Definition 32 It is the object of Definition to determine the nature or meaning or signification of a thing; in other words, definition is the formal attempt to answer the question, ‘What is it?’

a. A precise statement of the essential nature of a thing; a statement or form of words by which anything is defined.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun]

defining1382

definitiona1398

description1574

definement1604

whatness1674

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxvi. 1356 Oon in diffinicioun, as þinges þat haueþ oon diffinicioun.

c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi i. i. 2 I desire more to knowe compunccion þen his diffinycion.

1551 T. Wilson Rule of Reason sig. Dvij^v A definition of the substaunce, is a speach, which sheweth the very nature of the thyng.

?a1560 L. Digges Geom. Pract.: Pantometria (1571) ii. v. sig. M ij ^v Of Quadrangles..there are fiue sortes, as appeereth in the Diffinitions.

a1640 P. Massinger Guardian v. iv. 35 in 3 New Playes (1655) His victories but royal robberies, And his true definition a Thief.

1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 62. ⁋14 Propriety of Words and Thoughts, which is Mr. Dryden's Definition of Wit.

1758 S. Johnson Idler 15 Apr. 9 It has been found hard to describe Man by an adequate Definition.

1846 W. R. Grove On Correlation Physical Forces 35 The old definition of force was, that which caused change in motion.

1864 F. C. Bowen Treat. Logic 94 A Definition consists primarily of two parts, the Proximate Genus and the Specific Difference of the Concept defined.

b. A declaration or formal explanation of the signification of a word or phrase. [Not recognized by Johnson.]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] > of a word

definition1546

1546 Wycklyffes Wycket sig. A.ii A verye brefe diffinition of these wordes, Hoc est corpus meum.

1551 T. Wilson Rule of Reason sig. Dvij^v A definition of a word, is any maner of declaration of a word.

1724 I. Watts Logick i. vi. §2 A definition of the name being only a declaration in what sense the word is used, or what idea or object we mean by it.

1755 S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. Pref. As nothing can be proved but by supposing something intuitively known, and evident without proof, so nothing can be defined but by the use of words too plain to admit a definition.

1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1755 I. 163 The definitions have always appeared to me such..as indicate a genius of the highest rank... A few of his definitions must be admitted to be erroneous.

1885 W. L. Davidson Logic of Definition 87 No [dictionary] definition of ‘Gold’ will be sufficient that does not contain a reference to its colour, which supplies us with the distinct meaning ‘golden’.

c. definition in use: a definition which does not provide an equivalent for the expression to be defined, but instead replaces the whole context in which that expression occurs by an equivalent not containing that expression; a contextual definition (cf. contextual adj. b).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] > contextual

definition in use1910

contextual definition1934

implicit definition1959

1910 A. N. Whitehead & B. Russell Principia Mathematica I. iii. 69 Incomplete..symbols have what may be called a ‘definition in use’... We define the use of ∇², but ∇² by itself remains without meaning.

1936 A. J. Ayer Lang., Truth & Logic iii. 66 In a dictionary we look mainly for what may be called explicit definitions; in philosophy, for definitions in use.

1963 A. Pap Introd. Philos. Sci. ii. 30 Contextual definition (also called ‘definition in use’).

a. The action of making definite; the condition of being made, or of being definite, in visual form or outline; distinctness; spec. the defining power of a lens or optical instrument, i.e. its capacity to render an object or image distinct to the eye.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > visibility > [noun] > state of being clearly visible > sharpness or definition

sharpness1771

definition1859

1859 J. M. Jephson & L. Reeve Narr. Walking Tour Brittany 137 We were content..to sacrifice the artistic definition of the trees.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xviii. 125 The stratification..was shown with great beauty and definition.

1878 S. Newcomb Pop. Astron. ii. i. 138 The definition of this telescope is very fine.

b. gen. Definiteness, precision, exactitude. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [noun]

nicetya1393

curiosityc1400

suretya1500

justness1533

preciseness1569

accurateness1611

punctuality1620

punctualness1620

mathematicality1641

accuracy1644

expressness1645

exactness1646

veracity1666

niceness1678

correctness1684

criticalness1693

precision1698

punctuosity1733

definitude1836

minutia1849

definition1866

1866 Duke of Argyll Reign of Law i. 8 A fallacy is getting hold upon us from a want of definition in the use of terms.

c. The degree of distinctness of the details in a photograph, film, television picture, etc.; so high-definition, low-definition, used to designate television systems using different numbers of scanning lines.

ΚΠ

1889 E. J. Wall Dict. Photogr. 38 Detail, the definition of each minute part or parts of the material of a picture, whether in the negative or print therefrom.

1928 Television 1 ii. 7/3 It is claimed that much better definition and detail are obtained.

1928 Television 1 ii. 10/1 A difference of phase of only one per cent. between the transmitter and the receiver is sufficient to spoil the definition of the received image.

1933 Television 6 lxix. 373/1 Other companies, too, may..be given similar opportunities of providing high-definition television apparatus for transmission experiments.

1935 Discovery Sept. 277/2 The pioneer work of Baird..with low and high definition scanning.

1935 Discovery Sept. 278/1 The iconoscope camera, which is said to be capable of definition up to 500 lines.

1937 Amateur Photography (Newnes) 50 This explains the superb definition of the tiny cine-film pictures, in spite of their enormous enlargement when projected.

1943 Gloss. Terms Telecomm. (B.S.I.) 77 High-definition television, a system of television in which the number of scanning-lines exceeds 200 for each picture.

1946 Nature 20 July 88/2 In 1929..the B.B.C. decided to give Messrs. Baird Television, Ltd., facilities for experimental transmissions through the medium-wave London station. These transmissions, which were afterwards referred to as ‘low-definition’, employed 30 scanning lines and 12½ pictures per second.

1955 J. Lipinski Miniature & Precision Cameras ii. 34 It is not generally realized how serious a contribution camera shake makes in degrading the definition of a photograph taken with a miniature.

1969 M. J. Langford Advanced Photogr. iii. 58 A high resolution lens may well form separate images of closely spaced lines, but unless the blacks and whites are also clearly definable by their contrast the impression of ‘definition’ will be poor.

6. In combinations.

ΚΠ

a1857 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) I. vi. vi. 209 Alas, for our poor definition-cutter, with his logical scissors!

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	definition
释义	definitionn. Brit. /ˌdɛfᵻˈnɪʃn/, U.S. /ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən/ Forms: α. Middle English–1500s diffinicioun, etc. (with usual interchange of i and y), Middle English–1500s diffinition, etc., 1500s Scottish diffinitioun; β. Middle English–1500s defi-, 1500s defynicion(e, 1500s– definition. Etymology: < Old French de-, def-, diffinicion (also definison ), < Latin dēfīnītiōn-em (also in manuscripts diff- ), noun of action < dēfīnīre : see define v. Compare Provençal diff-, deffinicio, Spanish definicion, Italian difinizione. †1. The setting of bounds or limits; limitation, restriction. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > quality of being restricted or limited > [noun] > restriction or limitation definitionc1386 limiting1391 moderation1429 limitation1483 restriction1554 restraint1566 limit1572 stint1593 prescription1604 stintance1605 bounding1607 confining1608 confine1609 circumscriptiona1616 definement1643 stricture1649 stinting1656 circumscribing1660 contractiona1670 confinement1678 contracting1692 narrowing1871 c1386 G. Chaucer Wife of Bath's Prol. 25 Yit herd I never tellen..Uppon this noumbre diffinicioun. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 403 b/2 Thenne said he ben they knowen which men shal suffre thyse passyons without dyffynycion. 2. The action of determining a controversy or question at issue; determination, decision; spec. a formal decision or pronouncement of an ecclesiastical authority. Obsolete except in specific use. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > [noun] doomc950 redeOE lookingc1300 assizec1314 judging1357 definitionc1384 man's dayc1384 termination1395 discretiona1400 discussiona1425 decidingc1443 judicial1447 decisionc1454 arbitry1489 determinationa1513 determining1530 decerninga1535 discuss1556 discussment1559 thought1579 decernment1586 arbitrage1601 dijudication1615 crisis1623 decidementa1640 determinatinga1640 discernment1646 syndication1650 judication1651 dijudicatinga1656 adjudicature1783 call1902 c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Dan. xi. 36 Diffinicioun, or dome [a1425 L.V. determynynge], is fully don. 1532–3 Act 24 Hen. VIII c. 12 §9 A finall decree, sentence, judgement, diffinicion, and determinacion. 1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. i. v. f. 15 Ye determinatiouns and diffinitiouns of general counsellis. 1634 R. H. tr. Regim. Salerni 13 This question..whether a man should eate more at Dinner, or at Supper. For definition hereof, it is to be noted [etc.]. 1654 J. Bramhall Just Vindic. Church of Eng. viii. 241 This challenge of infallibility diminisheth their [sc. councils'] authority, discrediteth their definitions. 1864 J. H. Newman Apologia 392 Infallibility cannot act outside of a definite circle of thought, and it must in all its decisions, or definitions, as they are called, profess to be keeping within it. 3. Logic, etc. The action of defining, or stating exactly what a thing is, or what a word means. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] > act of defining circumscription1531 definition1645 diorism1664 the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical proposition > term of a proposition > [noun] > definition description1574 definition1645 explicit definition1853 definiens1871 1645 J. Milton Tetrachordon 18 Definition is that which refines the pure essence of things from the circumstance. 1690 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding iii. iii. 192 Definition being nothing but making another understand by Words, what Idea the term defined stands for. 1730 N. Bailey et al. Dictionarium Britannicum Definition (with Logicians), an unfolding the essence or being of a thing by its kind and difference. 1858 J. Martineau Stud. Christianity 226 Definition is always an enclosure of the true by exclusion of the false. 1860 W. Thomson Outl. Laws of Thought (ed. 5) §54. 82 Definition expounds all the marks implied in the notion, and so represents to us the nature or specific character of it. 1860 W. Thomson Outl. Laws of Thought (ed. 5) §69. 111. 1885 W. L. Davidson Logic of Definition 32 It is the object of Definition to determine the nature or meaning or signification of a thing; in other words, definition is the formal attempt to answer the question, ‘What is it?’ 4. a. A precise statement of the essential nature of a thing; a statement or form of words by which anything is defined. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] defining1382 definitiona1398 description1574 definement1604 whatness1674 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxvi. 1356 Oon in diffinicioun, as þinges þat haueþ oon diffinicioun. c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi i. i. 2 I desire more to knowe compunccion þen his diffinycion. 1551 T. Wilson Rule of Reason sig. Dvij^v A definition of the substaunce, is a speach, which sheweth the very nature of the thyng. ?a1560 L. Digges Geom. Pract.: Pantometria (1571) ii. v. sig. M ij ^v Of Quadrangles..there are fiue sortes, as appeereth in the Diffinitions. a1640 P. Massinger Guardian v. iv. 35 in 3 New Playes (1655) His victories but royal robberies, And his true definition a Thief. 1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 62. ⁋14 Propriety of Words and Thoughts, which is Mr. Dryden's Definition of Wit. 1758 S. Johnson Idler 15 Apr. 9 It has been found hard to describe Man by an adequate Definition. 1846 W. R. Grove On Correlation Physical Forces 35 The old definition of force was, that which caused change in motion. 1864 F. C. Bowen Treat. Logic 94 A Definition consists primarily of two parts, the Proximate Genus and the Specific Difference of the Concept defined. b. A declaration or formal explanation of the signification of a word or phrase. [Not recognized by Johnson.] ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] > of a word definition1546 1546 Wycklyffes Wycket sig. A.ii A verye brefe diffinition of these wordes, Hoc est corpus meum. 1551 T. Wilson Rule of Reason sig. Dvij^v A definition of a word, is any maner of declaration of a word. 1724 I. Watts Logick i. vi. §2 A definition of the name being only a declaration in what sense the word is used, or what idea or object we mean by it. 1755 S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. Pref. As nothing can be proved but by supposing something intuitively known, and evident without proof, so nothing can be defined but by the use of words too plain to admit a definition. 1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1755 I. 163 The definitions have always appeared to me such..as indicate a genius of the highest rank... A few of his definitions must be admitted to be erroneous. 1885 W. L. Davidson Logic of Definition 87 No [dictionary] definition of ‘Gold’ will be sufficient that does not contain a reference to its colour, which supplies us with the distinct meaning ‘golden’. c. definition in use: a definition which does not provide an equivalent for the expression to be defined, but instead replaces the whole context in which that expression occurs by an equivalent not containing that expression; a contextual definition (cf. contextual adj. b). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > an explanation, definition > [noun] > contextual definition in use1910 contextual definition1934 implicit definition1959 1910 A. N. Whitehead & B. Russell Principia Mathematica I. iii. 69 Incomplete..symbols have what may be called a ‘definition in use’... We define the use of ∇², but ∇² by itself remains without meaning. 1936 A. J. Ayer Lang., Truth & Logic iii. 66 In a dictionary we look mainly for what may be called explicit definitions; in philosophy, for definitions in use. 1963 A. Pap Introd. Philos. Sci. ii. 30 Contextual definition (also called ‘definition in use’). 5. a. The action of making definite; the condition of being made, or of being definite, in visual form or outline; distinctness; spec. the defining power of a lens or optical instrument, i.e. its capacity to render an object or image distinct to the eye. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > visibility > [noun] > state of being clearly visible > sharpness or definition sharpness1771 definition1859 1859 J. M. Jephson & L. Reeve Narr. Walking Tour Brittany 137 We were content..to sacrifice the artistic definition of the trees. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xviii. 125 The stratification..was shown with great beauty and definition. 1878 S. Newcomb Pop. Astron. ii. i. 138 The definition of this telescope is very fine. b. gen. Definiteness, precision, exactitude. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [noun] nicetya1393 curiosityc1400 suretya1500 justness1533 preciseness1569 accurateness1611 punctuality1620 punctualness1620 mathematicality1641 accuracy1644 expressness1645 exactness1646 veracity1666 niceness1678 correctness1684 criticalness1693 precision1698 punctuosity1733 definitude1836 minutia1849 definition1866 1866 Duke of Argyll Reign of Law i. 8 A fallacy is getting hold upon us from a want of definition in the use of terms. c. The degree of distinctness of the details in a photograph, film, television picture, etc.; so high-definition, low-definition, used to designate television systems using different numbers of scanning lines. ΚΠ 1889 E. J. Wall Dict. Photogr. 38 Detail, the definition of each minute part or parts of the material of a picture, whether in the negative or print therefrom. 1928 Television 1 ii. 7/3 It is claimed that much better definition and detail are obtained. 1928 Television 1 ii. 10/1 A difference of phase of only one per cent. between the transmitter and the receiver is sufficient to spoil the definition of the received image. 1933 Television 6 lxix. 373/1 Other companies, too, may..be given similar opportunities of providing high-definition television apparatus for transmission experiments. 1935 Discovery Sept. 277/2 The pioneer work of Baird..with low and high definition scanning. 1935 Discovery Sept. 278/1 The iconoscope camera, which is said to be capable of definition up to 500 lines. 1937 Amateur Photography (Newnes) 50 This explains the superb definition of the tiny cine-film pictures, in spite of their enormous enlargement when projected. 1943 Gloss. Terms Telecomm. (B.S.I.) 77 High-definition television, a system of television in which the number of scanning-lines exceeds 200 for each picture. 1946 Nature 20 July 88/2 In 1929..the B.B.C. decided to give Messrs. Baird Television, Ltd., facilities for experimental transmissions through the medium-wave London station. These transmissions, which were afterwards referred to as ‘low-definition’, employed 30 scanning lines and 12½ pictures per second. 1955 J. Lipinski Miniature & Precision Cameras ii. 34 It is not generally realized how serious a contribution camera shake makes in degrading the definition of a photograph taken with a miniature. 1969 M. J. Langford Advanced Photogr. iii. 58 A high resolution lens may well form separate images of closely spaced lines, but unless the blacks and whites are also clearly definable by their contrast the impression of ‘definition’ will be poor. 6. In combinations. ΚΠ a1857 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) I. vi. vi. 209 Alas, for our poor definition-cutter, with his logical scissors! This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.c1384
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