DEFINITION ESSAYBy: Dr. Mary Custureri

What do definitions do?

Definitions answer questions: What are we talking about?

They give terms that are clear for specific audiences

All audiences are not alike. Some need more specific, more easily understood definitions because they have not been trained.

Poor definitions can cause problems because of misinterpretation

Levels of Detail in Definitions

Technical level (Doctor, scientist)– Ex: A tumor is an neoplasm

Tech. level (nurse, technician)– A tumor is a growth of cells that

occurs independently of surrounding tissue and serves no useful function.

Lay person:– A tumor is a growth that has no useful

function and that may be benign or become cancerous.

DEFINITIONS FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCE LEVELS

High tech Use jargon, acronym or abbreviation alone

The wastewater is being treated for DBPs

Low-tech Use jargon, acronym, or abbreviation with a parenthetical definition

The wastewater is being treated for DBPs (disinfectant by products).

Lay person (not experienced with the specific technology)

Use jargon, acronym, or abbreviation with a parenthetical definition and a brief explanation or extended definition.

The wastewater is being treated for DBPs (disinfectant

by-products) such as acid, methane, chlorine, and ammonia.

What is a definition essay?

It is an extended explanation of an abstract idea, a complicated idea or a controversial word or phrase

Example: love

quality

beauty

What question does the definition essay answer?What is it? What does it encompass? What does it include?

Why should a writer know how to write a definition essay? I: Often people debate about issues and misunderstand each other because of unique definitions. This lack of

understanding leads to problems. EXAMPLES: life death morality cheating marriage equality success failure beauty ugliness pornography art

addiction minority(ethnic or otherwise monopoly (in business) defense power weakness

Cont. Why write a definition?

II. People who are not experts in a field may misunderstand the author’s meaning.

Medical terms Technical terms Specific terms in a proposal for a

project Explanations of problems

Purpose of a definition essay

Specify the meaning of a term or concept

Specify distinctive characteristics, and boundaries of that term so that the reader cannot make a mistake

Formal definition has specific parts

Word: A watch

Class: is a mechanical device

Characteristics: that is used for telling time and is usually carried or worn

Example 2

Word: Semantics

Class: is an area of linguistics

Classification: that is concerned with the study of the meaning of words.

Ways in which to help readers understand The writer offers examples and sets up

contrasts by showing what it is not.The writer offers analogies or examples

of what it isThe writer offers a graphic picture with

explanationsThe writer redefines the word by

explaining it in easy-to-understand language

The writer can write an informal essay or even satire to entertain and inform