What is a definition?

Definition
	A definition is a thorough description of the meaning of a lexical unit.

Parts
	Here are the parts of a definition:
	Synthetic component consisting of the following: Analytic definition Supplemental information Translation equivalents (in bilingual definitions) or near synonyms (in monolingual definitions)

Examples (Hebrew-English): Bilingual definition

Lexical unit	Analytic definition	Supplemental info	Translational equivalents
hikkih	To physically impact someone or something with an instrument	Such as a sword, spear, or hand	To hit, strike, stab, cut, or slash
shamam	To have never given birth to a child	With the implication of being empty and emotionally ruined	To be barren or infertile

Examples: (English: monolingual definition)

Lexical unit	Analytic definition	Supplemental info
clap	To strike the palms of the hands together	As in applauding
dog	A domesticated canine	Raised in many breeds, commonly kept as a house pet.

Nonexamples

A gloss is not the same as a definition.

Here is a table that compares a gloss with a definition:

Point of comparison	Gloss	Definition
Length	Consists of one or two words	Consists of one or more phrases, sentences, or paragraphs
Specificity	Is a summary of the meaning of the sense, suitable for use with text glossing	Is a full, expanded description of the meaning of the sense

Concept module: definition
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): D
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004