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The word or group of words that is to be defined is called the definiendum, and the word, group of words, or action that defines it is called the definiens. [6] For example, in the definition "An elephant is a large gray animal native to Asia and Africa", the word "elephant" is the definiendum, and everything after the word "is" is the ...
[13] He ends his section with the following observation: "A definition may very well rely upon notions that are equivalent to the one being defined; indeed, in every definition definiens and definiendum are equivalent notions, and the strict observance of Poincaré's demand would make every definition, hence all of science, impossible". [14]
A definition may very well rely upon notions that are equivalent to the one being defined; indeed in every definition definiens and definiendum are equivalent notions, and the strict observance of Poincaré's demand would make every definition, hence all of science, impossible. [20]
A definition that provides a means for replacing each occurrence of the definiendum with an appropriate instance of the definiens. [131] [132] Contrast implicit definition. explosion The principle in logic that from a contradiction, any statement can be proven, related to the principle of ex falso quodlibet. exportation
An extensional definition gives meaning to a term by specifying its extension, that is, every object that falls under the definition of the term in question.. For example, an extensional definition of the term "nation of the world" might be given by listing all of the nations of the world, or by giving some other means of recognizing the members of the corresponding class.
Revision theory is a subfield of philosophical logic.It consists of a general theory of definitions, including (but not limited to) circular and interdependent concepts.A circular definition is one in which the concept being defined occurs in the statement defining it—for example, defining a G as being blue and to the left of a G. Revision theory provides formal semantics for defined ...
It is common practice, for example, to use 'definiens' and 'definiendum' (also originally Latin) to distinguish between a term or phrase that is being defined (the definiendum) and the proffered definition (the definiens).
The process of producing new definitions by extending existing definitions is commonly known as differentiation (and also as derivation).The reverse process, by which just part of an existing definition is used itself as a new definition, is called abstraction; the new definition is called an abstraction and it is said to have been abstracted away from the existing definition.