VocabauraVOCABAURA

definition

noun

Simple meaning

A concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase or symbol.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

dehfuhnishuhn

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

dɛfəˈnɪʃən

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. semanticslexicography

    A statement of the meaning of a word, word group, sign, or symbol; especially, a dictionary definition.

  2. semanticslexicography

    A concise explanation of the meaning of a word or phrase or symbol

  3. A statement expressing the essential nature of something; formulation

  4. The action or process of defining.

  5. The act of defining; determination of the limits.

  6. A product of defining.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “definition”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Statement / concise

general definition

Sharp

precise definition

Other combinations

operational definitionfollowing definitionnew definitionclear definitionlegal definitionformal definition

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • explicit definitionnounCompound term

    A definition that gives an exact equivalent of the term defined.

  • A television system that has more than the usual number of lines per frame so its pictures show more detail.

  • ostensive definitionnounCompound term

    A definition that points out or exhibits instances of the term defined.

  • recursive definitionnounCompound term

    A definition of a function from which values of the function can be calculated in a finite number of steps.

  • contextual definitionnounCompound term

    A definition in which the term is used by embedding it in a larger expression containing its explanation.

  • stipulative definitionnounCompound term

    A definition that is stipulated by someone and that is not a standard usage.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Keep learning “definition” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.

Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.