Title: Introduction
Course: ENG 120 Technical Composition I > Section: ENG 120 Technical Composition I

Introduction

Writing Definitions

Writing Definitions

You will often need to clarify terms in your documents. The audience determines the need for and extent of a definition.You must define all terms that may be unfamiliar to the audience. You will also define words that have a special meaning or more than one meaning.

There are three ways to define a term:

- Parenthetical
- Formal sentence
- Extended definition

The simplest way to define a term is by placing a synonym in parenthesis after the term:

Dust mites (microscopic insects) are usually found indoors.

A formal sentence definition follows a specific pattern, which consists of three parts: the term, the class in which the term belongs, and the characteristics that differentiate it from all others in its class. For example, “an ‘A’ coil is an evaporator coil that can be used for upflow, downflow, and horizontal-flow applications.”

If your audience needs a more thorough understanding of the term, you will write an extended definition. This can be several sentences or multiple paragraphs. To write an extended definition, combine the methods of definition you find listed in your textbook, such as:

- Denotation. Denotation is the literal definition of the term, which you find in the dictionary.
- Connotation. Connotation is the implied definition of the term. The word “cheap,” for example, means inexpensive, but it can have the connotation of something that is of lesser quality.
- Examples. Examples can be brief or extensive.
- Description. If the term names an object, you may describe how it looks. You will learn about description in your next lesson.
- Negation. Negate the term from those that are similar or with which it may be confused. For example, an ambulatory patient is not one who needs an ambulance. It is a patient who can walk.
- Comparison. Try to compare the term to something that is familiar to the audience.
- Etymology. This is the origin of the word. For example, it may come from the Latin or Old French. Find the etymology in the dictionary.
- History. Sometimes you can define a term by explaining its history. Who invented the object? How has it developed over time?