Definition Essay Assignment Instructions
In our academic lives, we are exposed to new words and terms all the time: We might learn new
terms—or more complicated applications of words we thought we already know—as we study history,
biology, literature, or other disciplines. This happens in our everyday lives as well; we hear new words
from different cultures, different technologies, and different generations. Often, when we want to know
a word or a term’s definition, we think of looking in the dictionary, of going to an acknowledged,
credible source to find out what a word means. We don’t necessarily think of definitions as debatable,
as arguments, and many words, in many situations, are not. When you hear someone tell a teenager or
young adult to act like an “adult,” you probably don’t think of that person acting like a 14-year-old. You
know what the word “adult” means! But you also probably know that in a different context that word
that you know so well may be contested. In criminal law, for example, a 14-year-old might be tried as an
“adult” in a court if he or she has committed certain crimes. And 200 years ago, a 14-year-old was very
much an adult in terms of being able to work or even marry. And in some parts of the world, that is still
the case.
So once we think about it, we realize that dictionaries aren’t the only sources of definitions. Often how a
word is defined is very debatable; often, indeed, it’s the foundation of an argument. For example,
before a court can decide to try a 14-year-old as an adult, there must be agreement on what being an
adult means in this particular legal term (that is, in terms of behavior, knowing right from wrong, etc.).
How a court defines “adult” will likely be very different from the way a biologist defines “adult”, which
will vary still from the way a psychologist defines it.
In college and the professional world, you will often be expected to memorize established definitions of
terms. But you will often need to be able to understand and enter the debate over definitions that are
contested. In this expository essay, you will define an abstract term that may be contested.
Assignment Instructions
For this paper, you will choose a debatable term that is of interest to you. You will define the term using
whatever evidence you determine to be the most compelling and uniquely describe the term you are
defining. Make sure that the definition is your own and that it is not simply a different meaning of a
word with multiple interpretations.
1. Review the grading rubric as listed on the following.
2. Choose a debatable term that is of interest to you.
3. Develop an essay according to the following formatting guidelines: (Papers submitted that do
not meet these formatting requirements will be returned to you ungraded.)
o Minimum of 2 typed, double-spaced pages (about 450–600 words), Times New Roman,
12 pt font size
o MLA formatting (see the MLA Format page as needed)
o Submitted as either a .Microsoft Word doc, .or rtf file
4. Submit your essay as a single file upload with your first and last name in the file name.
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Purpose
Your broader purpose here is to enter into a more expansive conversation about your term, but you
must still shape—and make clear to your audience—your more specific purpose. Your goal in this paper
is to reflect on and articulate the meaning of a word or term that has some resonance for you. For your
reader, the paper should offer a clear sense of what you think the term means, how your thoughts
connect to what others think of the term, why and in what context the definition matters.
How you arrange your essay is your choice, but you will want to consider where to place your support.
How will you weave together a definition of an abstract term with an attention-grabbing narrative,
examples, negation, and other tactics of definition that best explain the concept?
How to Proceed
Once you have decided on your audience, your term, and the support for defining that term, how do
you go about actually composing a definition? There are many tactics of definition, or definition
questions, and we will consider and practice them in class. You will not use all of them in this paper
(that would be more like a list than a well-structured essay!), but you should choose the ones that work
best for this term and audience.
What you should not do in this essay is define something the way we already know it; in other words, try
not to tell us that a computer is a machine for accessing the World Wide Web and Word processing. We
don’t need to read that compromise is finding an in-between in a conflict. Aim for something
invigorating and fresh. Make it exigent.
Examples
Many of the authors we read in class attempt to define complex terms. These writers employed many of
the strategies that you will be using to write your paper, so please use these stories as examples of how
to successfully write a paper within the definition genre.
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Student Sample: Definition Essay
Chris Thurman
Cohen
English 111
12/01/10
Extended Definition Essay
When one thinks of the most important quality in a friend or a family member, trust immediately comes
to mind. It can be defined as reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and surety of a person or thing.
But what does it really mean? Trust, in simple terms, is faith in another person, despite a lack of an
assured outcome.
One characteristic that makes trust unique is its fragility. To gain the trust of a parent or friend, one
must continuously prove one’s honesty and reliability. To gain the complete trust of someone can take
years, but can be lost in a single moment. A perfect example of the delicate nature of trust can be found
in marriage. Two spouses must constantly support and be honest with each other to gain real trust.
However, this bond can be easily broken if one of the spouses is caught cheating with someone else.
Trust in another person can make one feel secure and loved, while broken trust can lead to the feeling
of anger and vulnerability.
One very important question arises when examining trust: If one knows the outcome of something
before it happens, is there any trust involved? For example, a friend asks to borrow $10,000 so that he
can invest it in a company, and receive more money in return. If one already knew that they would get
the money back at the time of the loan, there is no trust involved. However, if the investment seems
very risky, and the only thing that made one approve is the friend’s promise of success, than genuine
trust takes place. The person that is doing the trusting should have faith in the person making the
promise, not in the event itself. Real trust is not tested in times of certainty; rather, genuine trust occurs
when we are not certain of the outcome.
Trust can be a found in simple things, like a dog relying on his master to feed him, or it can be found in
more complex things relationships such as two police officers looking out for each other. Most
friendships are based on trust as well. Friends will not let other friends make bad decisions and will
expect that others will do the same for them. Trust can be proven to others by doing the right thing
even when one is not asked. If other people know that one can handle responsibility and can manage to
do the right thing, even when they are not asked, they will not falter in providing friendship and support.
Trust has always been a part of everyone’s life whether or not they are aware of it. From the time we
are born, we know that our mother will care for us and show us love and affection. In our teenage years
we hope that our friends and family alike will support our decisions and correct us if we are wrong. To
our college years, we expect that our teachers will accurately grade everything we do. We even expect
our spouse to support and love us throughout our adult years. We rely on others to take care of our
every need when we are old. Even on the day that we die, we know that our friends and family will be at
our funeral to bid us farewell into the afterlife. We hope that there is a heaven and a hell, one of which
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will be our final destination. But throughout our lives, trust follows us everywhere we go and these
trusting relationships that we develop will help lead and guide us. But when it all comes down to it, who
can we trust?
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How to Write a Definition Essay
A definition essay can be deceivingly difficult to write. This type of paper requires you to write a
personal yet academic definition of one specific word. The definition must be thorough and lengthy. It is
essential that you choose a word that will give you plenty to write about, and there are a few standard
tactics you can use to elaborate on the term. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when writing a
definition essay.
Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Right Word
1: Choose an abstract word with a complex meaning.[1]
A simple word that refers to a concrete word will not give you much to write about, but a complex word
that refers to an abstract concept provides more material to explore.
Typically, nouns that refer to a person, place, or thing are too simple for a definition essay. Nouns that
refer to an idea work better, however, as do most adjectives.
For example, the word “house” is fairly simple and an essay written around it may be dull. By switching
to something slightly more abstract like “home,” however, you can play around with the definition
more. A “home” is a concept, and there are many elements involved in the creation of a “home.” In
comparison, a “house” is merely a structure.
2: Make sure that the word is disputable.
Aside from being complex, the word should also refer to something that can mean different things to
different people.
A definition essay is somewhat subjective by nature since it requires you to analyze and define a word
from your own perspective. If the answer you come up with after analyzing a word is the same answer
anyone else would come up with, your essay may appear to lack depth.
3: Choose a word you have some familiarity with.
Dictionary definitions can only tell you so much. Since you need to elaborate on the word you choose to
define, you will need to have your own base of knowledge or experience with the concept you choose.
For instance, if you have never heard the term “pedantic,” your understanding of the word will be
limited. You can introduce yourself to the word for your essay, but without previous understanding of
the concept, you will not know if the definition you describe is truly fitting.
4: Read the dictionary definition.
While you will not be relying completely on the dictionary definition for your essay, familiarizing yourself
with the official definition will allow you to compare your own understanding of the concept with the
simplest, most academic explanation of it.
As an example, one definition of “friend” is “a person attached to another by feelings of affection or
personal regard.”[2] Your own ideas or beliefs about what a “friend” really is likely include much more
information, but this basic definition can present you with a good starting point in forming your own.
5: Research the word’s origins.
Look up your chosen word in the Oxford English Dictionary or in another etymology dictionary.[3]
These sources can tell you the history behind a word, which can provide further insight on a general
definition as well as information about how a word came to mean what it means today.
Part 2 of 3: Potential Elements of an Effective Definition
1: Write an analysis.[4]
Separate a word into various parts. Analyze and define each part in its own paragraph.
You can separate “return” into “re-” and “turn.” The word “friendship” can be separated into “friend”
and “ship.”
In order to analyze each portion of a word, you will still need to use additional defining tactics like
negation and classification.
Note that this tactic only works for words that contain multiple parts. The word “love,” for instance,
cannot be broken down any further. If defining “platonic love,” though, you could define both “platonic”
and “love” separately within your essay.
2: Classify the term.
Specify what classes and parts of speech a word belongs to according to a standard dictionary definition.
While this information is very basic and dry, it can provide helpful context about the way that a given
word is used.
3: Compare an unfamiliar term to something familiar.
An unfamiliar or uncommon concept can be explained using concepts that are more accessible to the
average person.
Many people have never heard of the term “confrere,” for instance. One basic definition is “a fellow
member of a profession, fraternity, etc.” As such, you could compare “confrere” with “colleague,” which
is a similar yet more familiar concept.[5]
4: Provide traditional details about the term.
Explain any physical characteristics or traditional thoughts used to describe your term of choice.
The term “home” is often visualized physically as a house or apartment. In more abstract terms, “home”
is traditionally thought to be a warm, cozy, and safe environment. You can include all of these features
in a definition essay on “home.”
5: Use examples to illustrate the meaning.
People often relate to stories and vivid images, so using a fitting story or image that relates to the term
can be used in clarifying an abstract, formless concept.
In a definition essay about “kindness,” for example, you could write about an act of kindness you
recently witnessed. Someone who mows the lawn of an elderly neighbor is a valid example, just as
someone who gave you an encouraging word when you were feeling down might be.
6: Use negation to explain what the term does not mean.
If a term is often misused or misunderstood, mentioning what it is not is an effective way to bring the
concept into focus.
A common example would be the term “courage.” The term is often associated with a lack of fear, but
many will argue that “courage” is more accurately described as acting in spite of fear.
7: Provide background information.
This is when your research about the etymology of a word will come in handy. Explain where the term
originated and how it came to mean what it currently means.
Part 3 of 3: Definition Essay Structure
1: Introduce the standard definition.
You need to clearly state what your word is along with its traditional or dictionary definition in your
introductory paragraph.
By opening with the dictionary definition of your term, you create context and a basic level of
knowledge about the word. This will allow you to introduce and elaborate on your own definition.
This is especially significant when the traditional definition of your term varies from your own definition
in notable ways.
2: Define the term in your own words in your thesis.
Your actual thesis statement should define the term in your own words.
Keep the definition in your thesis brief and basic. You will elaborate on it more in the body of your
paper.
Avoid using passive phrases involving the word “is” when defining your term. The phrases “is where”
and “is when” are especially clunky.[6]
Do not repeat part of the defined term in your definition.
3: Separate different parts of the definition into separate paragraphs.
Each tactic or method used to define your term should be explored in a separate paragraph.
Note that you do not need to use all the possible methods of defining a term in your essay. You should
use a variety of different methods in order to create a full, well-rounded picture of the term, but some
tactics will work great with some terms but not with others.
4: Conclude with a summary of your main points.
Briefly summarize your main points around the start of your concluding paragraph.
This summary does not need to be elaborate. Usually, looking at the topic sentence of each body
paragraph is a good way to form a simple list of your main points.
You can also draw the essay to a close by referring to phrases or images evoked in your introduction.
5: Mention how the definition has affected you, if desired.
If the term you define plays a part in your own life and experiences, your final concluding remarks are a
good place to briefly mention the role it plays.
Relate your experience with the term to the definition you created for it in your thesis. Avoid sharing
experiences that relate to the term but contradict everything you wrote in your essay.
Sources and Citations
1. http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/Definition.html
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/friend?s=t
http://www.etymonline.com/
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/definition.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/confrere?s=t
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/definition.htm
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(MLA Outline Template)
Student Name
Ms. Bishop
Engl. 1101
XX Month 2018
Paper Title
Introduction:
Thesis:
1st Body Paragraph
A. ______________________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
B. ______________________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
II.
2nd Body Paragraph
A. ______________________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
B. ______________________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
III.
3rd Body Paragraph
A. ______________________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
B. ______________________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
Conclusion:
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