Why definitions are important

Words can mean different things at different times. They come into existence to express thoughts by a group of people that share them, at a point in time, with a mean-ing that reflects their origin, use, and timeframe. Take, for instance, the word awful. Originally, that word meant "worthy of awe", as in "very inspiring". However, over time it has come to mean bad, displeasing, offensive, etc.

A quick Google search will produce list upon list of terms that have changed over time 3. More specifically, the words and phrases that you find in a dictionary exist to express these shared thoughts, which we'll refer to as concepts throughout this document. We won't go into the philosophical debate of whether concepts define words or do words define concepts, a debate that is currently plaguing educators today 4 , as it has been since the times of Plato and Socrates 5.

Nor will we spend time debating about specific definitions of terms, how the definitions morph over time, or the nature of, and demands on, definitions 6. This podcast addresses the importance of how we define things and how we define other people. In an English dictionary, example sentences are even more important than definitions. A definition does one job: it tells you what a word means. They show you how to use a word in sentences — how to connect it with other words and with grammar structures.

They program your brain to produce correct English sentences. Answer: An effective sentence is one that conveys the point you want to make clearly and persuasively to your reader.

A sentence is clear if it does not have grammar and spelling errors. If you want to test your level of Grammar, you can use the following tests to see how good is your grammar…. Best Grammar Tests. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Essay Why are definitions important in your life? Ben Davis May 1, Good definitions are valuable assets. They allow us to assess situations better, have more meaningful conversations, and make better decisions.

The conversations end up circling around, going nowhere. A really good definition is generative. It creates value beyond its intended purpose of describing something effectively. Our definition of social media very naturally led us to realize why people are so annoying on social media. It also helped us see how social media disrupted traditional media.

Getting at a good definition requires lots of deliberation, rigorous examination and stress-testing. For more complex circumstances, it can take years of experience to come up with a simple, useful definition.

Few people take the trouble to really, really know their stuff. Not vague, and not convoluted. This is typically a function of precision. This is a good thing, because it then allows you to revise your definition.

This allows for healthy, constructive discussions that are focused on outcomes rather than personal egos. Definitions are useful in practically any field. They help us think and communicate more clearly, which in turn help us understand our businesses our customers, our product, our processes, our value-proposition, etc better. Your customers.

We all have an idea of who our customers or users are, and we often mistake the map for the territory. Your product.