What is an extended definition of a word

In a paragraph, essay, or speech, an extended definition is an explanation and/or illustration of a word, thing, or concept.

Randy Devillez in «Step by Step College Writing» says that an extended definition can be «as short as a paragraph or two or as long as several hundred pages (such as a legal definition of obscene).»

Examples

Seek out the following for some good examples of extended definition in writing:

«A Definition of a Gentleman» by John Henry Newman from a lecture given in Ireland in 1852.

«A Definition of a Jerk,» is a 1961 essay written by Sydney J. Harris.

«Gifts,» is an 1844 essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet, philosopher, and essayist.

«Happiness,» was first published in 1961 in the «Report to Greco,» by Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis.

Lists and Anaphora in «Pioneers: A View of Home» by Yolande Cornelia «Nikki» Giovanni Jr., an award-winning African-American poet, writer, and activist.

«The Meaning of Home» was published in 1984 by John Berger, poet, essayist, novelist, and screenwriter. 

Observations

«An extended definition may explain the word’s etymology or historical roots, describe sensory characteristics of something (how it looks, feels, sounds, tastes, smells), identify its parts, indicate how something is used, explain what it is not, provide an example of it, and/or note similarities or differences between this term and other words or things,» notes Stephen Reid in «The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers.»

Introduction to an Extended Definition: Family

In «The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought,» Marilynne Robinson points out that «We are all aware that ‘family’ is a word which eludes definition, as do other important things, like nation, race, culture, gender, species; like art, science, virtue, vice, beauty, truth, justice, happiness, religion; like success; like intelligence. The attempt to impose a definition on indeterminacy and degree and exception is about the straightest road to mischief I know of, very deeply worn, very well traveled to this day. But just for the purposes of this discussion, let us say: one’s family are those toward whom one feels loyalty and obligation, and/or from whom one derives identity, and/or to whom one gives identity, and/or with whom one shares habits, tastes, stories, customs, memories. This definition allows for families of circumstance and affinity as well as kinship, and it allows also for the existence of people who are incapable of family, though they may have parents and siblings and spouses and children.»

An Extended Definition of Damned

In the film, «Cold Comfort Farm,» actor Ian McKellen plays the part of Amos Starkadder, who says: «You’re all damned! Damned! Do you ever stop to think what that word means? No, you don’t. It means endless, horrifying torment! It means your poor, sinful bodies stretched out on red-hot gridirons in the nethermost, fiery pit of hell, and those demons mocking ye while they wave cooling jellies in front of ye. You know what it’s like when you burn your hand, taking a cake out of the oven, or lighting one of them godless cigarettes? And it stings with a fearful pain, aye? And you run to clap a bit of butter on it to take the pain away, aye? Well, I’ll tell ye: there’ll be no butter in hell!»

Composing an Extended Definition of Democracy

«Sometimes,…particularly when we are thinking seriously about a complicated concept, such as democracy, we use a definition as the basis for an entire theme; that is, we write what may be called an extended definition,» says Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren in «Modern Rhetoric.»

Purposes of an Extended Definition

Barbara Fine Clouse explains that an extended definition can also serve a persuasive purpose. «More often than not, an extended definition informs. Sometimes you inform by clarifying something that is complex…. A definition can also inform by bringing the reader to a fresh appreciation of something familiar or taken for granted….»

Sources

Brooks, Cleanth and Robert Penn Warren. Modern Rhetoric. Abridged 3rd ed., Harcourt, 1972.

Clouse, Barbara Fine. Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical Reader. 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Devillez, Randy. Step by Step College Writing. Kendall/Hunt, 1996.

McKellen, Ian, actor as Amos Starkadder in “Cold Comfort Farm.” BBC Films, 1995.

Reid, Stephen. The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers. Prentice Hall, 1995.

Robinson, Marilynne. “Family.” The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Table of Contents

  1. What is an extended definition?
  2. What is an extended definition example?
  3. What is an extended definition essay?
  4. What is a formal and extended definition?
  5. What are the three parts of formal definition?
  6. What are some examples of concepts?
  7. How do you explain a concept?
  8. What are the 5 elements of a concept paper?
  9. What are the 10 parts of concept paper?
  10. Which is the first thing to consider in writing a concept paper?
  11. Are concept papers useful?
  12. What is the purpose of a concept note?
  13. What is an effective concept paper?
  14. Why you have not read any concept paper?
  15. Why is a concept paper crucial for future work?
  16. What is the main purpose of a concept paper?
  17. What comes first to your mind when you read the word concept?
  18. When you hear the word psychology what comes to mind?
  19. What is a concept paper?
  20. What is the difference between concept paper for a project and concept paper for academic research?
  21. What are the three 3 main elements of a position paper?
  22. How do you write a concept paper example?
  23. What is the difference between a critique paper and a concept paper?
  24. What are the similarities and differences between reaction papers and reviews?
  25. What are the similarities of critique and review?
  26. What is Concept Paper and example?
  27. What is a concept paper in your own words?
  28. How do you write a concept?
  29. How do you write a good concept note?

An extended definition is a one or more paragraphs that attempt to explain a complex term. Note: See the complete example of an extended definition. When you write reports, you may often discover that you need to explain certain basics before you can discuss the main subject matter.

What is an extended definition example?

“An extended definition may explain the word’s etymology or historical roots, describe sensory characteristics of something (how it looks, feels, sounds, tastes, smells), identify its parts, indicate how something is used, explain what it is not, provide an example of it, and/or note similarities or differences between …

What is an extended definition essay?

Definition essay, also referred to as extended definition essay, is the type of academic writing that presupposes giving definition of a particular notion, term, concept, or phenomenon. It is much longer and specific than a simple definition.

What is a formal and extended definition?

Formal sentence definitions: their components are the term being defined, the class it belongs to, and its distinguishing characteristics. Somewhere in your extended definition, you’ll need to explain them as well, possibly by using short definitions (explained later in this section).

What are the three parts of formal definition?

A formal definition consists of three parts:

  • The term (word or phrase) to be defined.
  • The class of object or concept to which the term belongs.
  • The differentiating characteristics that distinguish it from all others of its class.

What are some examples of concepts?

Concepts are based on our experiences. Concepts can be based on real phenomena and are a generalized idea of something of meaning. Examples of concepts include common demographic measures: Income, Age, Eduction Level, Number of SIblings.

How do you explain a concept?

8 simple ideas for concept development and explanation

  1. Understand your audience.
  2. Define your terms.
  3. Classify and divide your concept into ‘chunks’
  4. Compare and contrast.
  5. Tell a story or give an example to illustrate the process or concept.
  6. Illustrate with examples.
  7. Show Causes or Effects.
  8. Compare new concepts to familiar ones.

What are the 5 elements of a concept paper?

The fundamental elements of a Concept Paper are project vision, project scope, project targets, timeline and milestones and project management. Let’s look at them individually. The first section of the Paper articulates the purpose and objectives of the project and defines the specific problem to be solved.

What are the 10 parts of concept paper?

  • title page.
  • background of the study.
  • preliminary literature review.
  • statement of the problem objectives.
  • abridge methadology.
  • timeline.
  • references. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

Which is the first thing to consider in writing a concept paper?

Introduction and statement of the problem This serves as the most important part of the concept paper. You must be seeking to add value and convince the reader that you are doing so. For example, your research should seek to solve an existing problem or provide further insights into a scarcely researched topic.

Are concept papers useful?

A concept paper is a brief paper outlining the key aspects of a study before undertaking the study. It is meant to provide an idea of the study. Thus, it helps the supervisor assess whether the study is relevant, feasible, and worthwhile. If not, they may suggest studying a different research question.

What is the purpose of a concept note?

Introduction. A concept note is a brief outline of your proposed project. “The purpose of a concept paper, from the funding agency’s point of view, is to help applicants develop more competitive proposals and to save time by eliminating proposals that are not likely to be funded.

What is an effective concept paper?

Concept papers should range from 1 – 2 double-spaced pages (250-500 words). The point of a concept paper is to provide a clear summary of the research project. It should enable a casual reader to understand what the researcher is investigating, why it is important, and how the investigation will proceed.

Why you have not read any concept paper?

Reasons: Requires deeper knowledge and understanding of the concept of the research project or issues, same with economic and business implications. Formal and serious type of brief document. Some difficult terms are not clearly explained in the definitions.

Why is a concept paper crucial for future work?

The Concept Paper helps to identify the main people involved in a project, starting with a sponsor, who will then pick the project leader, who in turn assembles the core and the supporting teams in the very beginning of the project, creating the necessary stability and flow to facilitate the execution.

What is the main purpose of a concept paper?

The purpose of a concept paper is to lay out the basics of a grant proposal so that everyone involved in planning and implementation (from your organization or a partner’s) agrees on what will be in the proposal. This promotes good relationships and helps you get letters of commitment from your partners, as well.

What comes first to your mind when you read the word concept?

Answer: when i read the word concept the first thing that comes in my mind is the the concept is an abstractand general idea. And it is understanding retained in mind.

When you hear the word psychology what comes to mind?

The data are revealing: When survey respondents are asked the first thing that comes to mind when they think of the field of psychology, they most often use words associated with illness, helping people, and treatment. Very rarely do people spontaneously mention anything about research on mind, brain or behavior.

What is a concept paper?

A concept paper is a brief paper written by a university student around a research question before undertaking the research. The paper is about two or three pages long and provides key details about the research, such as the question, purpose, and methods.

What is the difference between concept paper for a project and concept paper for academic research?

Explanation: concept paper for a project is a temporal endeavor to obtain a defined goal while concept paper for academic research is the collectingof information, investigation, experimentation in order to obtain new knowledge or discover something.

What are the three 3 main elements of a position paper?

The classic position paper contains three main elements: An Introduction, which identifies the issue that will be discussed and states the author’s position on that issue. A Conclusion, restating the key points and, where applicable, suggesting resolutions to the issue.

How do you write a concept paper example?

Suggested Format for a Concept Paper

  1. Introduction.
  2. Purpose.
  3. Project Description.
  4. Goals and Objectives/Research Questions.
  5. Methodology and Timelines.
  6. Benefits/Anticipated Outcomes.
  7. Support Needed & Costs (if requested)
  8. Contact Information.

What is the difference between a critique paper and a concept paper?

Answer: Moreover, a concept paper should be based on scientific findings or exact and factual data. On the other hand, a reaction paper is a formal paper which indicates the author’s particular feelings or critique over a particular topic or issue that needs to be resolved.

What are the similarities and differences between reaction papers and reviews?

The difference between a reaction paper and a review is that a reaction paper includes a commentary, personal reaction, take or stand regarding a topic. On the other hand, a review synthesizes the topic, and is subjective in manner.

What are the similarities of critique and review?

The key difference between the two is that a review can be compiled by anyone and consists of a subjective opinion of a work, unlike a critique which is written by an expert in the field with a technical comprehension.

What is Concept Paper and example?

Usually, a concept paper is the preliminary part of an academic research, written to obtain permission to undertake the research project, or to obtain funding for it. The concept paper is an idea for a project that describes what it’s about, why it’s being undertaken, and how it will be accomplished.

What is a concept paper in your own words?

A concept paper is a short document written by a researcher before starting their research project, with the purpose of explaining what the study is about, why it is important and the methods that will be used.

How do you write a concept?

First, write a concept outline.

  1. That means you have the right idea for the insight, the right idea for the benefit, and the right ideas for the RTBs.
  2. Write them all down in outline form.
  3. Check to see if it all hangs together and creates a logical story.
  4. Have others read it over to see if they agree it’s basically right.

How do you write a good concept note?

While there is no standard format for a Concept Note, generally the following information is given:

  1. Name of the Organization.
  2. Title of the Proposed Project.
  3. Potential Donor.
  4. Context (not more than 300 words)
  5. Rationale for the Proposed Project.
  6. Project Goals and Objectives.
  7. Project Strategy/ Listing of Project Activities.

Wikipedia defines definition as “the meaning of a word, phrase or other term” Definitions can be categorized into to specific classifications: Intensional definitions and extensional definitions.

Intensional definitions refer to those that attempt to give essence to a term, whereas extensional definitions are those that proceed by listing the objects described by the term.

Another form of definition that you might come across is ostensive definitions, there are the definitions that convey the meaning of a term by pointing out examples. It is possible for a term to have more than one meaning, requiring it to have multiple definitions.

Today, a definition refers to something, most typically expressed in words, aligned to a meaning of a word or a selection of words. The word (or the collection of words) that needs to be defined is known as the definiendum and the words that define it is known as the definiens.

It is important to note, however, that the definiens is not the meaning of the defined word, but rather is something the conveys an identical meaning as that word.

There are several sub-types of definitions, often times they will be specific to a particular field of study or expertise. Such as, lexical definitions (or, the types of definitions you see in a dictionary), demonstrative definitions (or, those that define something through example), and precising definitions (or, those that lessen the vagueness of a word in some special way.)

What Kinds of Definitions  Exist?

In language, particularly in English, a word might have multiple meanings and multiple phrases might be used to describe the same idea or concept. As we converse with others, it is important to clearly understand what the people around you are talking about – the same rule can be applied to your writing.

When your word selection can have multiple meanings, you might find yourself needing to write an extended definition that doesn’t necessarily define the word you are using, but rather explains the concept or idea of it, and can prove to your audience why it’s important that they follow the same train of thought as yourself.

Simply put, a definition is part fact and part opinion.

An extended definition can be crafted from a logical definition, or a notional definition. It follows this formula.

Definiendum = genus + differentia

The term or idea that you are attempting to describe is known as the definiendum. The genus refers to the specific class or category that the definiendum is connected to. The differentia, on the other hand, refers to the set of characteristics that separates the definiendum from other elements in its class.

If you are unable to state your logical definition clearly and concisely in your essay, you should still have a clear understanding of it. This is necessary in order to prevent your idea from inadvertently shifting to an alternate meaning, and so that your audience can easily craft the logical definition based on what you are writing. Unless you are completely confident in your audience’s ability to grasp your intended meaning, you should always state the logical definition outright at the start of your essay.

There are a number of cautionary tips that you should observe whenever you are trying to pen a logical definition. For starters, do not create a circular definition, more specifically, don’t define a word in terms of itself. For example: Athleticism  is the art of being athletic. Definitions created using metaphors are not logical either.

In an extended definition, the logical definition needs to be elaborated using various methods, each of which should clearly convey meaning to your readers. You are responsible for deciding which method you use, and in what manner. Remember to take into consideration what it is exactly that you are defining, along with what information you believe that your reader’s already know and what they might need further proof or convincing of.

If you feel that they will be completely in the dark, or unfamiliar with a particular concept or definition, you will need to consider the best method to explain things to them without further complicating the matter, or creating confusion.

  1. Be as clear about the use or purpose of the definition as you can be. Why do you feel that it is necessary for the reader to share your idea?
  2. Given that differentia is typically a component of a logical definition requiring further clarification, you should focus on developing it through comparison and contrast. You might decide to develop your contrasts through the use of examples. Most often, you will find greater success with one or two well-written examples if you are able to connect them to explanations as to why one example belongs inside the idea that you are defining, and the other on the outside. For example, if you are defining domestic dogs, you might choose to explain why a St Bernard is a domestic dog, why a Wolf is not. They are both members of the canine genus. If you are not able to find a tangible example, you could try to create a hypothetical one, so long as you make it clear to your reader that it is not real.
  3. Demonstrate, using the same technique, how your idea differs from other ideas that might, for one reason or another, be confused with it.
  4. Try to find tests or experiments that can be used to determine why exactly it is that something falls into a certain category or concept – this is called operational definition. When you do, make sure you explain why you chose that specific test and how it works.
  5. Make the idea easier to grasp by explaining its various parts, elements, subtypes, etc.
  6. Use cause and effect to place the idea in relation to other ideas. For example, where does the domestic dog come from? What caused dogs to become domesticated? How does your belief of a domestic dog differ from other domestic pets? How is the idea of fantasy related to the idea of reality?
  7. Explain why and how value is part of the idea or concept. Take into account the common example of art – what defines art? Why do so many people feel that something is not art unless it is high quality and meets their personal preferences?

Whatever method you choose to develop your definition is entirely up to you. There is no single right or wrong way. Typically, a combination of methods will net the greatest result. In any event, you need to ensure that you are writing clearly and concisely so that anyone reading your work will understand the idea that you are defining.

Although
the borderline between various linguistic units is not always sharp
and clear, we shall try to define every new term on its first
appearance at once simply and unambiguously, if not always very
rigorously. The approximate definition of the term word
has already been given in the opening page of the book.

The
important point to remember about
definitions
is that they should indicate the most essential characteristic
features of the notion expressed by the term under discussion, the
features by which this notion is distinguished from other similar
notions. For instance, in defining the word one must distinguish it
from other linguistic units, such as the phoneme, the morpheme, or
the word-group. In contrast with a definition, a description
aims at enumerating all the essential features of a notion.

To
make things easier we shall begin by a preliminary description,
illustrating it with some examples.

The
word
may be described as the basic unit of language. Uniting meaning and
form, it is composed of one or more morphemes, each consisting of one
or more spoken sounds or their written representation. Morphemes as
we have already said are also meaningful units but they cannot be
used independently, they are always parts of words whereas words can
be used as a complete utterance (e. g. Listen!).
The
combinations of morphemes within words are subject to certain linking
conditions. When a derivational affix is added a new word is formed,
thus, listen
and
listener
are
different words. In fulfilling different grammatical functions words
may take functional affixes: listen
and
listened
are
different forms of the same word. Different forms of the same word
can be also built analytically with the help of auxiliaries. E.g.:
The
world should listen then as I am listening now
(Shelley).

When
used in sentences together with other words they are syntactically
organised. Their freedom of entering into syntactic constructions is
limited by many factors, rules and constraints (e. g.: They
told me this story
but
not *They
spoke me this story).

The
definition of every basic notion is a very hard task: the definition
of a word is one of the most difficult in linguistics because the

27

simplest
word has many different aspects. It has a sound form because it is a
certain arrangement of phonemes; it has its morphological structure,
being also a certain arrangement of morphemes; when used in actual
speech, it may occur in different word forms, different syntactic
functions and signal various meanings. Being the central element of
any language system, the word is a sort of focus for the problems of
phonology, lexicology, syntax, morphology and also for some other
sciences that have to deal with language and speech, such as
philosophy and psychology, and probably quite a few other branches of
knowledge. All attempts to characterise the word are necessarily
specific for each domain of science and are therefore considered
one-sided by the representatives of all the other domains and
criticised for incompleteness. The variants of definitions were so
numerous that some authors (A. Rossetti, D.N. Shmelev) collecting
them produced works of impressive scope and bulk.

A
few examples will suffice to show that any definition is conditioned
by the aims and interests of its author.

Thomas
Hobbes (1588-1679),
one
of the great English philosophers, revealed a materialistic approach
to the problem of nomination when he wrote that words are not mere
sounds but names of matter. Three centuries later the great Russian
physiologist I.P. Pavlov (1849-1936)
examined
the word in connection with his studies of the second signal system,
and defined it as a universal signal that can substitute any other
signal from the environment in evoking a response in a human
organism. One of the latest developments of science and engineering
is machine translation. It also deals with words and requires a
rigorous definition for them. It runs as follows: a word is a
sequence of graphemes which can occur between spaces, or the
representation of such a sequence on morphemic level.

Within
the scope of linguistics the word has been defined syntactically,
semantically, phonologically and by combining various approaches.

It
has been syntactically defined for instance as “the minimum
sentence” by H. Sweet and much later by L. Bloomfield as “a
minimum free form”. This last definition, although structural in
orientation, may be said to be, to a certain degree, equivalent to
Sweet’s, as practically it amounts to the same thing: free forms
are later defined as “forms which occur as sentences”.

E.
Sapir takes into consideration the syntactic and semantic aspects
when he calls the word “one of the smallest completely satisfying
bits of isolated ‘meaning’, into which the sentence resolves
itself”. Sapir also points out one more, very important
characteristic of the word, its indivisibility:
“It cannot be cut into without a disturbance of meaning, one or two
other or both of the several parts remaining as a helpless waif on
our hands”. The essence of indivisibility will be clear from a
comparison of the article a
and
the prefix a-
in
a
lion
and
alive.
A lion
is
a word-group because we can separate its elements and insert other
words between them: a
living lion, a dead lion. Alive
is
a word: it is indivisible, i.e. structurally impermeable: nothing can
be inserted between its elements. The morpheme a-
is
not free, is not a word. The

28

situation
becomes more complicated if we cannot be guided by solid spelling.’
“The Oxford English Dictionary», for instance, does not
include the
reciprocal pronouns each
other
and
one
another
under
separate headings, although
they should certainly be analysed as word-units, not as word-groups
since they have become indivisible: we now say with
each other
and
with
one another
instead
of the older forms one
with another
or
each
with the other.
1

Altogether
is
one word according to its spelling, but how is one to treat all
right,
which
is rather a similar combination?

When
discussing the internal cohesion of the word the English linguist
John Lyons points out that it should be discussed in terms of two
criteria “positional
mobility”
and
“un­interrupt­abili­ty”.
To illustrate the first he segments into morphemes the following
sentence:

the

boy

s

walk

ed

slow

ly

up

the

hill

The
sentence may be regarded as a sequence of ten morphemes, which occur
in a particular order relative to one another. There are several
possible changes in this order which yield an acceptable English
sentence:

slow

ly

the

boy

s

walk

ed

up

the

hill
up

the

hill

slow

ly

walk

ed

the

boy

s

Yet
under all the permutations certain groups of morphemes behave as
‘blocks’ —
they
occur always together, and in the same order relative to one another.
There is no possibility of the sequence s

the

boy,
ly

slow,
ed

walk.
One
of the characteristics of the word is that it tends to be internally
stable (in terms of the order of the component morphemes), but
positionally mobile (permutable with other words in the same
sentence)”.2

A
purely semantic treatment will be found in Stephen Ullmann’s
explanation: with him connected discourse, if analysed from the
semantic point of view, “will fall into a certain number of
meaningful segments which are ultimately composed of meaningful
units. These meaningful units are called words.»3

The
semantic-phonological approach may be illustrated by A.H.Gardiner’s
definition: “A word is an articulate sound-symbol in its aspect of
denoting something which is spoken about.»4

The
eminent French linguist A. Meillet (1866-1936)
combines
the semantic, phonological and grammatical criteria and advances a
formula which underlies many subsequent definitions, both abroad and
in our country, including the one given in the beginning of this
book: “A word is defined by the association of a particular meaning
with a

1Sapir
E.
Language.
An Introduction to the Study of Speech. London, 1921,
P.
35.

2 Lyons,
John.
Introduction
to Theoretical Linguistics. Cambridge: Univ. Press, 1969.
P. 203.

3 Ullmann
St.
The
Principles of Semantics. Glasgow, 1957.
P.
30.

4 Gardiner
A.H.
The
Definition of the Word and the Sentence //
The
British Journal of Psychology. 1922.
XII.
P. 355
(quoted
from: Ullmann
St.,
Op.
cit., P. 51).

29

particular
group of sounds capable of a particular grammatical employment.»1

This
definition does not permit us to distinguish words from phrases
because not only child,
but
a
pretty child
as
well are combinations of a particular group of sounds with a
particular meaning capable of a particular grammatical employment.

We
can, nevertheless, accept this formula with some modifications,
adding that a word is the smallest significant unit of a given
language capable of functioning alone and characterised by positional
mobility
within
a sentence, morphological
uninterruptability
and semantic
integrity.2
All these criteria are necessary because they permit us to create a
basis for the oppositions between the word and the phrase, the word
and the phoneme, and the word and the morpheme: their common feature
is that they are all units of the language, their difference lies in
the fact that the phoneme is not significant, and a morpheme cannot
be used as a complete utterance.

Another
reason for this supplement is the widespread scepticism concerning
the subject. It has even become a debatable point whether a word is a
linguistic unit and not an arbitrary segment of speech. This opinion
is put forth by S. Potter, who writes that “unlike a phoneme or a
syllable, a word is not a linguistic unit at all.»3
He calls it a conventional and arbitrary segment of utterance, and
finally adopts the already mentioned
definition of L. Bloomfield. This position is, however, as
we have already mentioned, untenable, and in fact S. Potter himself
makes ample use of the word as a unit in his linguistic analysis.

The
weak point of all the above definitions is that they do not establish
the relationship between language and thought, which is formulated if
we treat the word as a dialectical unity of form and content, in
which the form is the spoken or written expression which calls up a
specific meaning, whereas the content is the meaning rendering the
emotion or the concept in the mind of the speaker which he intends to
convey to his listener.

Summing
up our review of different definitions, we come to the conclusion
that they are bound to be strongly dependent upon the line of
approach, the aim the scholar has in view. For a comprehensive word
theory, therefore, a description seems more appropriate than a
definition.

The
problem of creating a word theory based upon the materialistic
understanding of the relationship between word and thought on the one
hand, and language and society, on the other, has been one of the
most discussed for many years. The efforts of many eminent scholars
such as V.V. Vinogradov, A. I. Smirnitsky, O.S. Akhmanova, M.D.
Stepanova, A.A. Ufimtseva —
to
name but a few, resulted in throwing light

1Meillet
A.
Linguistique
historique et linguistique generate. Paris,
1926.
Vol.
I. P. 30.

2 It
might be objected that such words as articles, conjunctions and a few
other words
never occur as sentences, but they are not numerous and could be
collected into a
list of exceptions.

3 See:
Potter
S.
Modern
Linguistics. London, 1957.
P.
78.

30

on this problem and achieved a
clear presentation of the word as a basic unit of the language. The
main points may now be summarised.

The
word
is the
fundamental
unit
of language.
It is a dialectical
unity
of form
and
content.
Its content or meaning is not identical to notion, but it may reflect
human notions, and in this sense may be considered as the form of
their existence. Concepts fixed in the meaning of words are formed as
generalised and approximately correct reflections of reality,
therefore in signifying them words reflect reality in their content.

The
acoustic aspect of the word serves to name objects of reality, not to
reflect them. In this sense the word may be regarded as a sign. This
sign, however, is not arbitrary but motivated by the whole process of
its development. That is to say, when a word first comes into
existence it is built out of the elements already available in the
language and according to the existing patterns.

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Writing an extended definition essay is like an essay about anything: you need to make it interesting and worth reading. With definition essays, however, you must do one more thing that is not always necessary with other types of writing—you have to prove whatever you are defining (no matter how obvious).

What is an extended definition essay?

An extended definition essay is a writing assignment where you have to choose a concept and define it. To do this, you’ll need to provide an explanation of the concept (i.e., give its meaning), as well as examples of what the concept entails. This is also known as representing or exemplifying the concept through descriptions, examples, and details.

What is an extended definition?

An extended definition includes more than just the word’s general meaning and/or synonyms of the concept in question. Also included are: a history of the term, why this term was chosen over others, how it compares to similar concepts, and its strengths and weaknesses. This will of course depend on what you’re writing about.

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Why would an extended definition be used?

Depending on the subject of your extended definition essay, this type of writing is usually used in academia to describe a concept in detail. In higher education, students are expected to know why certain words were chosen over others when defining a term, and how it fits into the context of a specific discipline.

Why are extended definition essays important?

An extended definition essay is used to describe a concept in detail, which can help you further your understanding of it. This can be helpful for researching information for other essays or assignments, conducting scientific studies that rely on accurate identification of variables, and so much more!

How to write an extended definition essay – step by step

If your readers don’t understand what something means after having read your paper, then you have not proven it. When you do this, then readers will see that a subject is worth writing about. With the following steps and a little creativity, you can write a great extended definition essay.

Step 1: Gather Your Information

To have proof of your extended definition, you need to have proof—facts, statistics, quotes, and well-thought out examples. The amount of information you need depends on the topic, but typically more is better to support your definition. You can find information in textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines (like TIME), newspapers online , and there are plenty of resources available to help with research like Google Scholar .

Step 2: Brainstorm Your Points

Once you have the information you need, it is time to think of your points. You can do this beforehand or while doing research—whichever way works best for you. Consider everything that is associated with your topic and start making a list. Some examples:

-A car cannot function without gasoline (combustion)

-Coffee is a stimulant

-The sun gives off light and heat energy

Once you have your list, go through it and pick out the main points. These will be your thesis (defining sentence) and topic sentences for each supporting paragraph. If you find that some of your examples do not work as proof or are redundant, then you can either remove them from your list or cut and paste them into a separate document.

Step 3: Write Your Thesis, Topic Sentences, and Supporting Paragraphs

This is the hard part because you need to make each of your main points as effective as possible. Start with the first point on your list. Read through your information and think of how you can make it interesting, new, or applicable to something that your reader will know. Once you have the idea for your topic sentence, write it down. Then read through what you have written so far and rewrite it until you are happy with the final result. This example applies to an extended definition paper about aspirin:

Aspirin is a drug that helps with pain and inflammation.

Thesis statement: Aspirin is a drug that helps relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

Topic Sentence 1: One way aspirin does this is by stopping prostaglandins from being made, which are chemicals that contribute to pain, fever, and inflammation.

Evidence/Proof: Aspirin blocks prostaglandins from being made by sticking to COX enzymes that help with the process of making them.

Topic Sentence 2: Another way aspirin helps is by stopping substances called thromboxanes, which lead to bruising and blood clotting.

This topic sentence is saying the same thing as the previous sentence. You can either cut this paragraph or move it to a separate document if you choose to add extra information about aspirin later on.

This topic sentence is introducing a new way that aspirin helps, so it would be best to leave it. And its proof should go in a separate paragraph anyway since it is more complicated than the other examples.

Here is one possible example of how your essay might look when you are done:

Aspirin, a common drug in households worldwide, has many benefits such as relieving pain and reducing inflammation. One way it does this is by stopping prostaglandins from being made, which are chemicals that contribute to pain, fever and inflammation. Aspirin blocks prostaglandins from being made by sticking to COX enzymes that help with the process of making them. Another way aspirin helps is by stopping substances called thromboxanes, which lead to bruising and blood clotting.

Topic Sentence 3: One last way aspirin helps is by stopping substances called cyclooxygenases from being made, which are chemicals that contribute to pain and inflammation.

This topic sentence is introducing a new way that aspirin helps, so it would be best to leave it. And its proof should go in a separate paragraph anyway since it is more complicated than the other examples.

After you have written your thesis and all of your topic sentences, you can add in any other proofs or details. While it is not necessary to add them to the example above, they should go into separate paragraphs with topic sentences that make them easier to follow.

For an extended definition essay about aspirin, here are some additional facts that might be added:

Aspirin is the only available drug that stops inflammation on its own.

It has few side effects when taken in small doses, but it can damage the stomach lining if too much of it is ingested at once.

Like all medications, aspirin should not be taken without a doctor’s prescription.

Step 4: Revise Your Essay

It is a good idea to read through your entire essay before you decide that it’s ready for grading. Look in the margins of the paper and check if your paragraphs are organized. If all of them have topic sentences, they should flow from one to the next without being confusing. If you have an intro and a conclusion, they should do their jobs of making the reader interested in the topic and satisfied with what they read before moving on.

Once you are happy with your essay, print it out or copy it onto a computer file so that you can save it for later. You could even use this for a study guide or review before a test on the same topic.

The Extended Definition Essay Checklist

These are some of the most important things you should check for in your essay:

  • – Does my intro make me want to read on?
  • – Is there a transition sentence at the end of each paragraph that leads into the next one?
  • – Do the topic sentences in each paragraph match with their details?
  • – Is there a proof to back up every topic sentence?

Once you have gone through your extended definition paper and made sure it has everything it needs, you can hand it in or email it to your teacher for grading.

Extended definition essay outline

A good extended definition essay outline is all about being able to show you understand the concept of extended definition. This can be somewhat complex, so an outline is a great place to start!

What is an extended definition essay outline?

An extended definition essay outline helps you organize your thoughts and ideas before starting on the actual writing process. It also ensures that all of the information you’re providing to your audience makes sense by revealing the bigger picture first, then filling in the gaps afterward.

Start with a brief introduction of the concept

Typically, this section should include a short introduction explaining what your extended definition essay is about. You might also want to provide a thesis statement in this section that states whether or not your subject is going to be defined accurately.

State the meaning of the word/concept

In the second section, you should explain how other words relate to this one and/or what concepts are similar or different than the one you’re defining.

Detail the history, origin, and/or evolution of this concept

This portion should include details on how and where your specific word was first used. Also discuss why it was chosen over other words that mean more or less the same thing. Then, end with a quick summary of what the term is currently used for.

Compare and contrast your subject to other similar concepts

In this section, you should explain how your chosen concept relates to similar ones. For example, if you’re writing about a computer virus, you might also include information on a human virus as well as other types of malware that affect computers or mobile devices.

Discuss the benefits and/or drawbacks of this concept

Lastly, you should wrap up your extended definition essay outline by discussing why this concept may be advantageous or problematic. Even though there are good points to every idea, it can be helpful to point out things that might affect people in general if they don’t know about them.

Write a conclusion

In the conclusion section of your essay, you should write a short summary of what you said in your outline. This is basically a preview of all of your points as if you were trying to convince someone to take an interest in your subject or idea. You might also want to leave them with something that makes them hungry for more information by asking a question, such as “Why is this good/bad?” or “What can we learn from this?”

Create a works cited page/references

Make sure to include a works cited page that has all of your sources and information where you got the data for your extended definition essay! This should be done in MLA, APA, or any other citation format and should list all sources that you used in the order that they appear in your extended definition essay writing.

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