Writing Definitions

The world of business and industry depends on clear definitions. Suppose you learn at a job interview that
the prospective employer pays tuition and expenses for employees’ job-related education. You would need to
study the employee-benefits manual to understand just what the company would pay for. Who, for instance,
is an employee? Is it anyone who works for the company, or is it someone who has worked for the company
full-time (40 hours per week) for at least six uninterrupted months? What is tuition? Does it include
incidental laboratory or student fees? What is job-related education? Does a course about time management
qualify? What, in fact, constitutes education?
Definitions are common in communicating policies and standards “for the record.” Definitions also have
many uses outside legal or contractual contexts. Two such uses occur frequently:
Definitions clarify a description of a new development or a new technology in a technical field. For
instance, a zoologist who has discovered a new animal species names and defines it.
Definitions help specialists communicate with less knowledgeable readers. A manual explaining how
to tune up a car includes definitions of parts and tools.

Definitions, then, are crucial in many kinds of technical communication, from brief letters and memos to
technical reports, manuals, and journal articles. All readers, from the general reader to the expert, need
effective definitions to carry out their jobs.
The writing process for a definition is similar to that for any other technical communication. The Focus
on Process box on page 538 outlines this process.

FOCUS ON PROCESS: Definitions

When writing definitions, pay special attention to these steps in the writing process.

PLANNING Analyze your audience and determine your purpose to decide how much
information to provide and what kind of definition to write.

DRAFTING Draft your definition with your audience and purpose in mind. To create extended
definitions, consider using tools such as graphics, examples, and analogy, as
explained on pages 541–44. Also review the writing advice in Chapter 3.

REVISING Think again about your audience and purpose, and then make appropriate
changes to your draft. See the section on “Parenthetical, Sentence, and Extended
Definitions” in the Writer’s Checklist at the end of this chapter.

EDITING Make sure your definition will be clear to your readers and gets the point across
without grammatical errors. See Chapter 10 for advice on writing correct and
effective sentences.

PROOFREADING Read through the definition slowly, making sure you have written what you wanted
to write. Get help from others. See Appendix, Part C, for proofreading tips.

ANALYZING THE WRITING SITUATION FOR DEFINITIONS

The first step in writing effective definitions is to analyze the writing situation: the audience and the purpose
of the document.
For more about audience and purpose, see Ch. 5.
Unless you know who your readers will be and how much they know about the subject, you cannot
determine which terms to define or what kind of definition to write. Physicists wouldn’t need a definition of
entropy, but lawyers might. Builders know what a molly bolt is, but many insurance agents don’t.
When you write for people whose first language is not English, definitions are particularly important.
Consider the following four suggestions:
For longer documents, create a glossary (a list of definitions). For more on glossaries, see Chapter 18,
page 486.
 Use Simplified English and easily recognizable terms in definitions. For more on Simplified English,
see Chapter 10, page 241.
Pay close attention to key terms. Be sure to carefully define terms that are essential for understanding
the document. If, for instance, your document is about angioplasty, you will want to be especially careful
when defining it.
Use graphics to help readers understand a term or concept. Graphics are particularly helpful to
readers who speak different languages, and they reduce the cost of translating text from one language to
another.
Think, too, about your purpose. For readers who need only a basic understanding of a concept — say,
travelers researching lodging options who want to learn more about time-sharing vacation resorts — a brief,
informal definition is usually sufficient. However, readers who need to understand an object, process, or
concept thoroughly and be able to carry out tasks related to it need a more formal and elaborate definition.
For example, the definition of a “Class 2 Alert” written for operators at a nuclear power plant must be
comprehensive, specific, and precise.

DETERMINING THE KIND OF DEFINITION TO WRITE

Your audience and purpose will also determine the length and formality of your definitions. There are three
basic types of definitions: parenthetical, sentence, and extended.

Writing Parenthetical Definitions A parenthetical definition is a brief clarification within an existing

sentence. Sometimes, a parenthetical definition is simply a word or phrase that is enclosed in parentheses or
commas or introduced by a colon or a dash. In the following examples, the term being defined is shown in
italics, and the definition is underscored:
The computers were infected by a Trojan horse (a destructive program that appears to be benign).
Before the metal is plated, it is immersed in the pickle: an acid bath that removes scales and oxides from the
surface.

Parenthetical definitions are not meant to be comprehensive; rather, they serve as quick and convenient
ways of introducing terms. But make sure your definition is clear. You have gained nothing if readers don’t
understand it:
Next, check for blight on the epicotyl, the stem portion above the cotyledons.

Readers who need a definition of epicotyl are unlikely to know the meaning of cotyledons. To solve this
problem, think carefully about your readers’ understanding of your subject before including technical terms
specific to that subject.

Writing Sentence Definitions A sentence definition — a one-sentence clarification — is more formal than
a parenthetical definition. A sentence definition usually follows a standard pattern: the item to be defined is
placed in a category of similar items and then distinguished from them.
ITEM = CATEGORY + DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Crippleware is shareware in which some features of the program are disabled until the
user buys a license to use the program.
Hypnoanalysis is a in which hypnosis is used to elicit information from a patient’s
psychoanalytical unconscious mind.
technique

In many cases, a sentence definition also includes a graphic. For example, a definition of an electron
microscope would probably include a photograph, diagram, or drawing.
Writers often use sentence definitions to present a working definition for a particular document: “In this
report, electron microscope refers to any microscope that uses electrons rather than visible light to produce
magnified images.” Such definitions are sometimes called stipulative definitions because the writer is
stipulating how the term will be used in the context of the document rather than offering a general definition
of the term.

GUIDELINES: Writing Effective Sentence Definitions

The following four suggestions can help you write effective sentence definitions.
Be specific in stating the category and the distinguishing characteristics. If you write, “A Bunsen burner is a
burner that consists of a vertical metal tube connected to a gas source,” the imprecise category — ”a burner” —
 ruins the definition: many types of large-scale burners use vertical metal tubes connected to gas sources.

Don’t describe a specific item if you are defining a general class of items. If you wish to define catamaran, don’t
describe a particular catamaran. The catamaran you see on the beach in front of you might be made by Hobie
and have a white hull and blue sails, but those characteristics are not features of catamarans in general.

Avoid writing circular definitions — that is, definitions that merely repeat the key words or the distinguishing
characteristics of the item being defined in the category. The definition “A required course is a course that is
required” is useless: required of whom, by whom? However, in defining electron microscopes, you can repeat
microscope because microscope is not the difficult part of the item. The purpose of defining electron microscope
is to clarify electron as it applies to a particular type of microscope.
Be sure the category contains a noun or a noun phrase rather than a phrase beginning with when, what, or
where.
INCORRECT A brazier is what is used to ….
CORRECT A brazier is a metal pan used to ….
INCORRECT Hypnoanalysis is when hypnosis is used to ….
CORRECT Hypnoanalysis is a psychoanalytical technique in which
….

Writing Extended Definitions An extended definition is a more detailed explanation — usually one or
more paragraphs — of an object, process, or idea. Often an extended definition begins with a sentence
definition, which is then elaborated. For instance, the sentence definition “An electrophorus is a laboratory
instrument used to generate static electricity” tells you the basic function of the device, but it doesn’t explain
how it works, what it is used for, or its strengths and limitations. An extended definition would address these
and other topics.
There is no one way to “extend” a definition. Your analysis of your audience and the purpose of your
communication will help you decide which method to use. In fact, an extended definition sometimes
employs several of the eight techniques discussed here.

Graphics Perhaps the most common way to present an extended definition in technical communication is
to include a graphic and then explain it. Graphics are useful in defining not only physical objects but also
concepts and ideas. A definition of temperature inversion, for instance, might include a diagram showing the
forces that create temperature inversions. The extended definition of hydraulic fracturing in Figure 20.1 is
made up of both words and graphics.
FIGURE 20.1 An Extended Definition with Graphics

Examples Examples are particularly useful in making an abstract or difficult-to-explain term easier to
understand. The following excerpt is an extended definition of marine protected areas from the website of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ([Link], 2016).
Marine protected areas (MPAs) in the U.S. come in a variety of forms and are established and managed by all
levels of government. There are marine sanctuaries, estuarine research reserves, ocean parks, and marine
wildlife refuges. Each of these sites differ. MPAs may be established to protect ecosystems, preserve cultural
resources such as shipwrecks and archaeological sites, or sustain fisheries production.
There is often confusion and debate regarding what the term “marine protected area” really means. Some
people interpret MPAs to mean areas closed to all human activities, while others interpret them as special
areas set aside for recreation (e.g., national parks) or to sustain commercial use (e.g., fishery management
areas). These are just a few examples of the many types of MPAs.
In reality, “marine protected area” is a term that encompasses a variety of conservation and management
methods in the United States. If you have been fishing in central California, diving near a shipwreck in the
Florida Keys, camping in Acadia, snorkeling in the Virgin Islands, or hiking along the Olympic Coast, you were
probably one of thousands of visitors to an MPA.
In the U.S., MPAs span a range of habitats, including the open ocean, coastal areas, intertidal zones,
estuaries, and the Great Lakes. They also vary widely in purpose, legal authorities, agencies, management
approaches, level of protection, and restrictions on human uses.
This extended definition includes examples of the many types of MPAs.

Principle of Operation Describing the principle of operation — the way something works — is an
effective way to develop an extended definition, especially for an object or a process. The following excerpt
from an extended definition of adaptive cruise control (Canadian Association, 2009) is based on the
mechanism’s principle of operation.

Partition Partitioning is the process of dividing a thing or an idea into smaller parts so that readers can
understand it more easily. Figure 20.2 uses partition to define the components of a roof.
For more about partitioning, see Ch. 7, p. 161.
FIGURE 20.2 Definition by Partition

Comparison and Contrast Using comparison and contrast, a writer discusses the similarities or
differences between the item being defined and an item with which readers are more familiar. The following
definition of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) contrasts this new form of phone service to the form we all
know.
For more about comparison and contrast, see Ch. 7, p. 158.
Voice over Internet Protocol is a form of phone service that lets you connect to the Internet through your cable
or DSL modem. VoIP service uses a device called a telephony adapter, which attaches to the broadband
modem, transforming phone pulses into IP packets sent over the Internet.
VoIP is considerably cheaper than traditional phone service: for as little as $20 per month, users get
unlimited local and domestic long-distance service. For international calls, VoIP service is only about three
cents per minute, about a third the rate of traditional phone service. In addition, any calls from one person to
another person with the same VoIP service provider are free.
However, sound quality on VoIP cannot match that of a traditional land-based phone. On a good day, the
sound is fine on VoIP, but frequent users comment on clipping and dropouts that can last up to a second. In
addition, sometimes the sound has the distant, tinny quality of some of today’s cell phones.
In this excerpt, the second and third paragraphs briefly compare VoIP and traditional phone service. Notice that
this passage is organized according to the part-by-part comparison-and-contrast pattern. For more about this
organizational pattern, see Ch. 7, p. 158.

Analogy An analogy is a specialized kind of comparison. In a traditional comparison, the writer compares
one item to another, similar item: an electron microscope to a light microscope, for example. In an analogy,
however, the item being defined is compared to an item that is in some ways completely different but that
shares some essential characteristic. For instance, the central processing unit of a computer is often
compared to a brain. Obviously, these two items are very different, except that the relationship of the central
processing unit to the computer is similar to that of the brain to the body.